Who is Manav Suthar, the Rajasthan spinner who made his Test debut for India against Afghanistan in Mullanpur

IND vs AFG, Mullanpur Test: Manav Suthar made his debut while Sai Sudharsan retained his place at No.3.

Updated on: Jun 6, 2026, 09:11:38 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Manav Suthar, Rajasthan's spin-bowling all-rounder, made his Test debut for India on Saturday after he was named in the playing XI for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Mullanpur. Suthar was picked ahead of Harsh Dubey, and his inclusion clearly indicates that the team management sees the 23-year-old playing a big role in the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

Manav Suthar makes his Test debut for India (BCCI)

Suthar received his maiden Test cap from Kuldeep Yadav. The left-arm spinner enters the fray having played 29 first-class matches, taking 129 wickets. Suthar is now India's first specialist spin Test debutant since Axar Patel in 2021.

Apart from 29 first-class matches, Suthar has also played 25 List-A matches and 29 T20S. He was also part of the Gujarat Titans squad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, playing 4 matches and taking 2 wickets. It is worth noting that this is the first time since November 2010 that India has played a Test without both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

Also Read: IND vs AFG One-off Test Day 1 LIVE Score: Check live updates and scorecard here

On the eve of the Test, India head coach Gautam Gambhir was tight-lipped, and he didn't even give a hint regarding who would play between Dubey and Suthar. However, he said that whoever is picked will play a big role in the upcoming two Tests against Sri Lanka.

“This is perhaps the only Test match where we can have a look at someone who could be our fourth spinner. Because after this, we go to Sri Lanka, and we might have to carry four spinners. So this is an ideal opportunity to try someone who could be a long-term option as well,” Gambhir told reporters in the pre-match press conference.

Speaking of Suthar, he sharpened his skills in Chennai, playing in the TNCA first-division league. He also considers Ravichandran Ashwin as his idol. Earlier, the former Indian spinner had also praised Suthar, saying, “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. He has a distinct advantage alongside Harsh Dubey in this regard.”

India opt to bat

In the Mullanpur Test, India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bat against Afghanistan. “The preparation has been good. Got a good couple of days of sleep. Nine Test matches after this, we've got quite a few home Test matches,” said Gill after winning the toss.

Sai Sudharsan retained his place at No.3 and pipped Devdutt Padikkal.

Here are the playing XIs of both teams:

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

Afghanistan: Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Afsar Zazai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Ziaur Rahman, Mohammad Saleem.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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