Who is Manav Suthar? GT spinner becomes India's 319th Test cricketer vs Afghanistan 2026
Know who is Manav Suthar, the Gujarat Titans (GT) spinner, who becomes India's 319th Test player to debut for the country during the one-off Test match against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh.
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Just before the toss during the one-off Test between India and Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, the Rajasthan spin all-rounder, Manav Suthar, who has played for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL), got his 319th Test debut cap.
It was a great moment for the youngster getting his cap from the veteran left-arm leg spinner of the side, Kuldeep Yadav, after years of hard work with the ball and trying his best to get the national cap on his head.
From Sri Ganganagar to Mullanpur — The untold story of Manav Suthar's journey to India's Test cap
Manav Suthar is a 23-year-old rising Indian star player who has played as a bowling all-rounder. He is a traditional slow left-arm orthodox spinner and can be really useful as a lower-order batter. He represents Rajasthan in domestic cricket and is part of the GT side in the IPL.
From the border town of Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan to the highest level of cricket, Suthar marks a special moment to be part of the national side. He was viewed as one of the biggest red-ball prospects for the BCCI.
With the veteran left-arm spin all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja, being rested for the Afghanistan series, the selectors used the chance to hand Suthar his debut as they continue to assess the next generation of the side in the spin all-rounder’s department.
Manav Suthar Test debut: 129 first-class wickets, 8/33 best figures & why India backed him
The 23-year-old has picked up 129 wickets in 52 innings of first-class cricket at an average of 25.76 and a strike rate of 52.50 with the help of eight four-wicket hauls and six five-wicket hauls at his best bowling figures of 8/33 in an innings. With the bat, he has collected 945 runs at an average of 25.54, thanks to his six half-centuries and one century at the best score of 120 runs.
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Suthar finished the Ranji Trophy 2022/23 as Rajasthan’s leading wicket-taker with 39 scalps in 11 innings at an average of just over 20 and a strike rate of nearly 42 with two five-wicket hauls.
He has been a stellar performer for India ‘A’ besides finishing as the joint-highest wicket-taker during the unofficial Test series against Australia ‘A, and also did well in the 2023 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.
Gill wins toss, India opt to bat — Jaiswal falls early as Afghanistan strike back on Day 1
India’s captain, Shubman Gill, won the toss and decided to bat first in India’s new Test venue, especially because of the extreme heat for the players coming off the two long months in the IPL. The home side made a good start with the help of the 41-run opening partnership.
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However, Yashasvi Jaiswal made his way back into the hut for 24 runs after getting an edge on the leg-sided delivery. However, KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan put up a fine 55-run unbeaten stand to shoulder India to 96/1 at the end of the first session.
Follow the live scorecard of the IND vs AFG one-off Test 2026
India-96/1 (KL Rahul 37*, Mohammad Saleem 1/27) vs Afghanistan at lunch on Day 1.
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