New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) India’s newest red-ball debutant, Manav Suthar, expressed that words cannot fully capture how he felt on receiving his first Test cap. He described the moment as the ‘best feeling’ he has experienced so far while also stating that he was motivated while getting the cap from ‘a legend like Kuldeep Yadav.’

India added Suthar to the XI for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Mullanpur. Before the game began on Saturday, all eyes were on India’s playing XI, with fans curious as to who among Suthar and Harsh Dubey would be selected. Suthar, who played for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 under India’s red-ball skipper Shubman Gill’s leadership, earned his first cap from senior spinner Kuldeep.

“I can’t even express these emotions in words. To be honest, it’s the best feeling of my life so far. A Test cap is a dream for every cricketer. So it gave me a lot of motivation, and receiving this cap from a legend like Kuldeep (Yadav) bhai, who has served Team India for so long, makes me so grateful that I received this cap,” Suthar said in a video shared by BCCI.

Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav reserved heartfelt words for the newest entrant while presenting him the cap as he said, “Cap number 319, Manav Suthar. Firstly, congratulations on making your Test debut for India, and it’s my privilege to present you with the cap. This is a very special moment in your cricket journey, and we wish you all the very best. We hope you have a long and successful Test career. As a fellow spinner, I know it’s a big stage, but nothing changes, trust your skill, back yourself, and keep spinning the ball the way you want, and welcome to the family, man.”

India won the toss and elected to bat, with the top order showing brilliant resilience throughout the first two sessions of the game. India crossed the 200-run mark riding on KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan’s half-centuries, and the former went on to convert his score into a ton in the last session of Day 1.

–IANS

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