Shubman Gill-led Team India kicked off red-ball preparations in New Chandigarh on Wednesday, 3 June, with an intensive net session at the PCA Stadium complex in Mullanpur, ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan starting 6 June 2026. The camp marks India's first red-ball assignment of the season, coming straight after the conclusion of IPL 2026.

First session under the new captain

With most players arriving fresh from their franchise duties, the squad began its transition from T20 mode to the longer format. Head coach Gautam Gambhir watched the proceedings closely and held lengthy conversations with the players. Newly-appointed vice-captain KL Rahul spent considerable time in the nets alongside opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant.

Gill takes charge after IPL final run

Gill, who recently steered Gujarat Titans to the IPL 2026 final, joined the national set-up after the tournament and was actively engaged during the session, working closely with fielding coach T. Dilip. The skipper leads a relatively fresh-looking Test unit, with senior pros Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja missing from the line-up.

Siraj's workload in focus

The pace attack appeared to be working overtime, with Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna sending down extended spells. However, Siraj's availability remains uncertain owing to workload-management considerations after he featured in every Gujarat Titans match through the IPL campaign. A call on his participation is reportedly expected shortly.

If Siraj is rested, uncapped Jammu & Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi emerges as the front-runner for a maiden call-up after a standout domestic season that yielded 60 wickets in the Ranji Trophy. Nabi is currently part of a net-bowling group that also features Gurjapneet Singh, Prince Yadav, Saransh Jain, Zeeshan Ansari, and Shivang Kumar.

Mayank Yadav joins net group

Express pacer Mayank Yadav has also linked up with the camp as a net bowler. The Lucknow Super Giants speedster, whose career has been disrupted by injuries, is helping India's batters acclimatise to raw pace ahead of Afghanistan's quicks while continuing his own road back to competitive cricket.

India's squad for the one-off Test

Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel (wk).

The Test, beginning 6 June, will be Gill's first assignment as full-time red-ball captain — a litmus test for a transitioning side without two of its biggest names.