Close to finishing, the IPL 2026 season marks the point at which Indian cricket authorities start moving behind the scenes for what comes next on the global stage.

A single Test match against Afghanistan sits first on the calendar after league play wraps up. Well before the tournament’s final whistle, decisions about player selection should already be taking shape. With time ticking, planning for that clash gains momentum even as franchise cricket plays out.

Ajit Agarkar leads the panel making decisions, and news from the Times of India says they will soon speak with BCCI about what comes next for India’s Test matches. These talks should happen in roughly a week or maybe just under ten days.

Bumrah, Shami decisions under BCCI spotlight

Right now, picking the right group of quick bowlers is the board’s main focus. With the IPL still running, a number of seamers are being quietly pushed to handle heavier spells, while selection choices for the longer format keep unfolding behind closed doors.

It seems Anshul Kamboj and Gurnoor Brar, quick bowlers still early in their careers, could get a look. Both recently featured in the India A squad. On a separate note, Auqib Nabi from Jammu and Kashmir has also caught attention. His spells in the Ranji Trophy made an impact and reports suggest the selection panel noticed.

Few think the BCCI wants to play a full-strength team against Afghanistan, even though the game doesn’t count toward the current WTC standings. So the call on Jasprit Bumrah still hangs in the air, right up until the team gets named.

On another note, Mohammed Shami has been out of the game since the Champions Trophy last year, and might sit it out again when picks are made.

“The selectors don’t believe in compromising the Test squad just because India is playing Afghanistan. They want the best lineup available and do not want to hand out Test caps easily,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying in the report.

Workload tracking still weighs heavily in selection decisions, while athletes like Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Nitish Kumar Reddy remain under close watch. Though details shift behind the scenes, attention sticks close to how each handles their load.

Behind every name listed, effort spreads unevenly across shoulders. Each game tests limits differently from the last one did. Even small changes ripple through decisions made weeks later. Monitoring doesn’t stop when matches end; it deepens quietly off the field.

“A call on Bumrah will be taken after detailed discussions. The last time India played Afghanistan in a Test, the frontline XI was picked,” the source added.

Over the next nine months, India will play nine Test matches in the current WTC cycle. The game against Afghanistan won’t shape the championship table, though.