The Indian men's cricket team will face Afghanistan in a one-off Test match starting Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.
The fixture marks the debut of New Chandigarh as India's 31st Test venue, occurring just six days after the conclusion of the 2026 Indian Premier League season.
India enters the match under head coach Gautam Gambhir seeking momentum for upcoming international assignments, having previously suffered home Test series whitewashes against New Zealand and South Africa.
The hosts have named a full-strength squad captained by Shubman Gill, though premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is rested, and veteran spinners R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel are absent from the squad.
Afghanistan is playing its 13th Test match since achieving format status in 2018 and will be led by captain Hashmatullah Shahidi alongside new head coach Richard Pybus, though talismanic legspinner Rashid Khan is unavailable due to a long-standing back complaint.
Gambhir Emphasizes Test Match Significance
India head coach Gautam Gambhir emphasized that the team is fielding a strong lineup because international matches remain highly significant regardless of their standing in official tournament tables.
"A Test match is a Test match.
I know people talk about this not being part of the World Test Championship cycle but for me, it is a Test match and we need to go out there and win for the country because you don't differentiate between Test matches, whether they are part of the World Test Championship or not.
That is one of the reasons why we are going to try to play our full-strength side even in this Test," said Gambhir.
Gambhir also noted that the team scheduling allows for sufficient preparation ahead of their subsequent tour of Sri Lanka, though adjustments will be required later in the year for the New Zealand series.
"We are a little fortunate that we have got enough time before Sri Lanka. Because we have got 15 days break between England and Sri Lanka.
So that is enough time to prepare for those two Test matches. We might have to prepare a little differently for New Zealand.
Because between the last ODI and the first Test match there is only three days break.
So we will have to pull out ODI players who are part of the Test squad.
One thing we realised is that we need to start preparing better in red-ball cricket.
And that was something which was lacking against West Indies and also," added Gambhir.
Pybus Takes Charge of Afghanistan
Afghanistan head coach Richard Pybus expressed his intention to approach his opening assignment with a new perspective while acknowledging the foundations laid by his predecessor Jonathan Trott.
"I did have a chat with Jonathan to hear from him about the role, and also to congratulate him because he's done so well to develop the side.
When I start with a team, I start with a blank slate though," said Pybus.
Pybus added that the management will evaluate the playing conditions at the new stadium, where hot June temperatures reaching 40°C are expected to dry out the pitch and offer assistance to spin bowlers.
"This is a new stadium, it is a new wicket.
I think the Indian coaching staff and leadership will be as interested to see how the wicket plays as we are.
It looks like a good cricket wicket but I have no doubt the heat is going to pull moisture out very quickly.
It has got a good covering of grass but will it continue to hold it together?
So spinners will play a major part in the game even though it looks pretty green at the moment," said Pybus.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has actively expanded Test cricket to regional venues, making India the nation with the highest number of unique Test stadiums globally.
The match is scheduled to begin daily at 9:30 AM IST, with the official coin toss taking place at 9:00 AM IST.
