Team India land in Mullanpur for one-off Test vs Afghanistan from June 6
Synopsis
India's red-ball reset begins in Mullanpur. After a chastening 2-0 home loss to South Africa and an IPL-heavy season, Shubman Gill leads a refreshed squad — with KL Rahul as vice-captain — into a one-off Test against Afghanistan. It's the first red-ball meeting between the sides since 2018, and a quiet audition before tours of Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Key Takeaways
Team India arrived in New Chandigarh on 2 June ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan .
The match begins 6 June at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium , Mullanpur.
Shubman Gill captains; KL Rahul has been named vice-captain.
It is India's first Test since the 2-0 home series loss to South Africa last year.
The fixture lies outside the WTC cycle but precedes overseas tours of Sri Lanka and New Zealand .
India beat Afghanistan by an innings and 262 runs in their only previous Test meeting at Bengaluru in 2018 .
Team India arrived in New Chandigarh on Tuesday, 2 June, ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, beginning Saturday, 6 June. The fixture marks the Shubman Gill-led side's return to red-ball cricket after the curtains came down on IPL 2026.
Squad lands in New Chandigarh
The contingent was spotted checking into the team hotel as preparations got underway for the encounter at the PCA New Chandigarh Stadium. Captain Shubman Gill led the group, with newly-appointed vice-captain KL Rahul, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy among those seen with the squad.
India's first Test since SA series loss
This will be India's first Test outing since their 2-0 home series defeat to South Africa last year. While the Afghanistan Test sits outside the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, it carries strategic weight as India build towards overseas tours of Sri Lanka and New Zealand later this year.
Why this fixture matters
The hosts will look to rediscover rhythm in the longest format with a squad that pairs senior pros with emerging names. Training sessions are expected to begin in the coming days as the team fine-tunes match readiness. For Afghanistan, the assignment is another high-stakes test against one of the format's most formidable sides — a chance to validate the steady gains they have made in red-ball cricket.
The 2018 backdrop
India and Afghanistan have crossed paths only once before in Tests — at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2018, when Afghanistan made their Test debut. India romped to victory by an innings and 262 runs inside two days. The Mullanpur clash will be the first red-ball meeting between the two sides since that historic encounter eight years ago.
India Test squad
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.
With overseas tours looming, the Mullanpur Test is less a standalone fixture and more a recalibration window — one India can ill afford to take lightly.
Point of View
But the subtext is anything but. After the South Africa home debacle exposed Indian batting's red-ball brittleness, this is the first reading of the Gill-Rahul leadership axis — and the clearest signal yet that the Kohli-Rohit era's transition is now operational, not theoretical. The squad's blend, with names like Manav Suthar and Gurnoor Brar, suggests selectors are using the Afghanistan game as a trial bench more than a tune-up. Whether that pragmatism translates into hard runs and wickets before the Sri Lanka and New Zealand tours is the real question.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the India vs Afghanistan one-off Test?
The one-off Test begins on 6 June at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. The Indian team arrived in the city on 2 June to begin preparations.
Who is leading India in the Test against Afghanistan?
Shubman Gill is captaining the side, with KL Rahul as the newly-appointed vice-captain. Rishabh Pant returns as wicketkeeper-batter.
Is this Test part of the World Test Championship cycle?
No, the one-off Test against Afghanistan is not part of the ongoing WTC cycle. However, it serves as crucial red-ball preparation ahead of India's overseas tours of Sri Lanka and New Zealand later this year.
When did India last play Afghanistan in a Test match?
India and Afghanistan have met only once before in Test cricket, at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2018. India won that match — Afghanistan's Test debut — by an innings and 262 runs inside two days.
What is India's full squad for the Afghanistan Test?
The 15-member squad is 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 and Dhruv Jurel.
