India and Afghanistan will meet in the only Test of the Afghanistan tour of India 2026 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh, starting on June 6. The match presents India with an opportunity to begin their red-ball season strongly, while Afghanistan will aim to register their first-ever Test victory against the hosts.
Match details
Venue: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh
Date: June 6-10, 2026
Time: 9:30 AM IST daily, 9:00 AM PST daily, 4:00 AM GMT daily
Team Overviews
India
India enter the one-off Test looking to regain confidence in red-ball cricket after disappointing home campaigns against New Zealand and South Africa. Although this match does not count toward the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, it provides valuable preparation for future Test assignments.
Shubman Gill will lead the side in a relatively fresh-looking lineup featuring a blend of experienced performers and emerging talent. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal are expected to form the opening partnership, while Rishabh Pant returns as a key figure in the middle order.
India’s bowling attack appears balanced with pace options Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Gurnoor Brar, while Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar offer spin variety. The hosts will expect their bowlers to take advantage of the pace-friendly conditions during the early stages of the match.
India have won the only previous Test between the two teams and will start as clear favorites on home soil.
Probable Playing XI: India
KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan/Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey/Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna
Afghanistan
Afghanistan will enter only their second-ever Test against India hoping to create history. Their first meeting in 2018 marked Afghanistan’s debut in Test cricket, and the visitors now have an opportunity to measure their progress eight years later.
Hashmatullah Shahidi leads a squad that has gained considerable international experience across formats. Rahmanullah Gurbaz brings attacking intent at the top of the order, while Rahmat Shah remains one of Afghanistan’s most technically accomplished red-ball batters.
The all-round capabilities of Azmatullah Omarzai could play an important role, particularly if conditions assist seam bowling early in the match. Afghanistan will also depend heavily on their spin resources through Qais Ahmad, Sharafuddin Ashraf, and Nangeyalia Kharote as the surface begins to wear later in the Test.
The visitors face a difficult challenge but possess enough talent to compete if they can build substantial partnerships with the bat.
Probable Playing XI: Afghanistan
Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Afsar Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Qais Ahmad, Ziaur Rahman
Key Players
Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill begins a new phase of leadership in Indian Test cricket. The captain’s ability to score heavily at the top of the order could set the tone for India’s performance throughout the match.
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant remains one of the most impactful Test batters in world cricket. His aggressive approach can quickly change the momentum of a game, particularly on surfaces that begin to flatten out.
Rahmat Shah
Rahmat Shah is Afghanistan’s most experienced Test batter and will carry significant responsibility against India’s strong bowling attack. His ability to occupy the crease for long periods could prove crucial.
Azmatullah Omarzai
Azmatullah Omarzai provides balance through both batting and seam bowling. His contributions in multiple departments could play a major role if Afghanistan are to challenge India.
Head-to-Head Record
India and Afghanistan have met only once in Test cricket.
India vs Afghanistan Test Head-to-Head Record
Matches Played: 1
Won by India: 1
Won by Afghanistan: 0
Drawn: 0
The only Test between the two sides took place on June 14, 2018, with India securing victory.
Pitch Report
The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium will host its first-ever Test match, becoming the 31st venue in India to stage Test cricket.
The surface is expected to offer good assistance to fast bowlers during the opening two days, with seam movement and carry available for pacers. As the match progresses, batting conditions should improve significantly, allowing top-order batters to settle and score freely.
By the fourth and fifth days, spin bowlers are expected to come strongly into the contest as the pitch begins to wear and offer more turn. Teams winning the toss may prefer to bat first and take advantage of progressively challenging fourth-innings conditions.
Probable Match Scenarios
If India bat first, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal will look to negotiate the new ball before allowing Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant to build a substantial first-innings total.
If Afghanistan bat first, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmat Shah will need to absorb pressure from India’s pace attack during the opening sessions and establish long partnerships.
The first two days could be dominated by seam bowling, while spinners are likely to become increasingly influential during the latter stages of the match.
Live Streaming and Broadcast
India: Live broadcast on JioStar Network channels and live streaming on JioHotstar app and website.
Pakistan: Coverage expected through official regional sports broadcasters and streaming platforms carrying India home matches.
United Kingdom: Live coverage expected on major cricket broadcasting partners.
Australia: Live streaming and television coverage available through official cricket broadcasting partners.
Global Viewers: Coverage will be available through regional broadcasters and official streaming services based on territory rights.
Match Prediction
India enter the one-off Test with a stronger squad, greater experience in home conditions, and significantly more depth in both batting and bowling departments. The hosts possess multiple match-winners capable of influencing the game across all five days.
Afghanistan have developed considerably as a Test-playing nation and possess talented players capable of competing at this level. However, the challenge of facing India in Indian conditions remains one of the toughest assignments in world cricket.
The pace-friendly start to the match could provide Afghanistan with some opportunities, particularly through Azmatullah Omarzai and their disciplined bowling attack. However, India’s batting lineup appears better equipped to handle changing conditions throughout the Test.
Unless Afghanistan produce an exceptional all-round performance, India should have enough quality to control the match and secure victory. India start the contest as overwhelming favorites.
