Manav Suthar makes Test debut against Afghanistan: Decoding his profile
What's the story
Manav Suthar, a spin-bowling all-rounder from Rajasthan, made his Test debut for India on Saturday. He was included in the playing XI for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Mullanpur. His selection over Harsh Dubey indicates that the team management sees potential in this 23-year-old cricketer for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.
Career trajectory
First specialist spinner to debut since Axar Patel
Suthar was awarded his maiden Test cap by Kuldeep Yadav. The left-arm spinner has played 29 first-class matches and taken 129 wickets at a fine average of 25.76. His tally includes six fifers and eight four-wicket hauls. Suthar has also scored 945 FC runs at 25.5 (100: 1, 50s: 6). With this, he became India's first specialist spinner to debut for India in Tests since Axar Patel in 2021. Apart from first-class cricket, Suthar has also played 25 List-A matches and 29 T20s in his career so far.
IPL stint
Suthar played for GT in IPL 2026
Suthar was also a part of the Gujarat Titans squad in the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He played four matches and took two wickets. Notably, this is the first time since November 2010 that India is playing a home Test match without both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Team strategy
Coach Gambhir's take on Suthar's selection
Ahead of the Test, India head coach Gautam Gambhir remained tight-lipped about his final XI. However, he did hint that whoever gets picked will play a big role in the two Tests against Sri Lanka. Gambhir said, "This is perhaps the only Test match where we can have a look at someone who could be our fourth spinner." India (Playing XI): KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
Training background
Suthar idolizes Ashwin
Suthar honed his skills in Chennai, playing in the TNCA first-division league. He idolizes Ravichandran Ashwin, who had earlier praised Suthar for his unique bowling style. "The reason why Manav Suthar is rated very highly is crystal clear in this picture. It's not just the angle of rotation or over spin, it's also the speed at which it is rotating," Ashwin had said earlier.
Twitter Post
Maiden Team India cap for Suthar!
The smile says it all ☺️🧢
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 6, 2026
Congratulations to debutant Manav Suthar as he receives his #TeamIndia Test cap from Kuldeep Yadav 🙌
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