IND vs AFG: Team India players gear up ahead of one-off Test against …

Team India is all set to take on Afghanistan in the one-off Test match, which will begin from June 6 at the Maharaja Singh PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.

Ahead of the Test match, the "Men in Blue" were seen sweating it out during the net session. The official social media handle of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video with a caption, "#TeamIndia hits the nets as the red ball grind gets underway ahead of the #INDvAFG Test". liveiplscore.homes

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🎥 #TeamIndia hits the nets as the red ball grind gets underway ahead of the #INDvAFG Test 🏏@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/bD3z1osQcB

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 3, 2026

After concluding with the one-off Test match, Team India will engage in the three-match ODI series against the Afghans. The first match of the three-match ODI series will be played on June 14 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala. The second match will be held on June 17 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground in Lucknow, and the third match on June 20 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Shubman Gill will be leading the national teams in both formats. KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have been appointed as vice-captains for the Test and ODI series, respectively.

Recently, former Team India cricketer Sairaj Bahutule was appointed as the spin bowling coach of the men`s national cricket team. He has already joined the squad for the upcoming series against Afghanistan.

He expressed happiness over his appointment by saying, "It is a tremendous honour to be appointed as the Spin Bowling Coach of the Indian Men`s Cricket Team. Representing India as a player was a matter of immense pride, and the opportunity to contribute to Indian Cricket once again in a coaching capacity is deeply special. I look forward to working with the players and supporting the team`s pursuit of excellence across formats".

India`s squad for the one-off Test match against Afghanistan

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).

India`s squad for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan

Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.

Shubman Gill

Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill en route his century in the Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals in New Chandigarh last week. Pics/AFP

Then India’s T20 vice-captain not making the T20 World Cup squad due to poor form was a massive talking point. But the right-hander responded in style, scoring consistently and averaging 45.75 in 16 games (732 runs), including six half-centuries and one century. The opener’s best knock of the season came in the high-pressure Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals, where the Gujarat Titans skipper smashed a match-winning 104 off just 53 balls to help GT chase their highest-ever target of 215. The opener struck at 163.03 — his best strike-rate in any IPL season — and will definitely make the selectors think before announcing the squad for the Ireland and England T20Is.

Matches: 16
Runs: 732
Avg: 45.75
SR: 163.03

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar during their win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium recently

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has not been a part of the Men in Blue’s playing XI since November 2022, but the stage is seems to be set for the right-arm pacer to force his way back into the side, thanks to a masterclass of a season in which he finished with 28 wickets — the second most in the tournament — in 16 games, and helped RCB defend their title successfully. The 36-year-old was instrumental throughout RCB’s campaign, claiming three or more wickets as many as six times. He has most definitely knocked extremely hard on the selectors’ doors after delivering a match-winning 2-29 in the final against GT.

Matches: 16
Wickets: 28
Economy: 7.95
Avg: 17.89
Best: 4-20

KL Rahul

Delhi Capitals’s KL Rahul hits one against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur last month

KL Rahul was seen in a revamped T20 avatar this season. The Delhi Capitals’s opening batter, who last played a T20I for India in November 2022, completely reinvented his scoring template, smashing 593 runs in 14 games. The right-handed batter also showed he can be trusted by playing a long T20 innings, scoring a historic 152 not out against PBKS. His strike-rate — an IPL career-best 174.41 — was another major talking point. The wicketkeeper-batter’s explosive power-hitting this season (31 sixes) will definitely make the selectors rethink his place in the T20I squad.

Matches: 14
Runs: 593
Avg: 45.62
SR: 174.41

Shreyas Iyer

Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer during their match against Lucknow Super Giants last month

Shreyas Iyer has definitely used this IPL to prove his worth after being left out of India’s T20I playing XI for almost two and a half years. As a middle-order batter, he has absolutely dominated against spin. The right-hander has accumulated 498 runs at an impressive average of 55.33. Four of Iyer’s five half-centuries and one century have come in Punjab Kings’s successive run chases, proving that he possesses the ability and fearless approach required to pull his side out of pressure situations.

Matches: 16
Runs: 498
Avg: 55.33
SR: 168.81

Krunal Pandya

Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya during their win over Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium recently

Krunal Pandya has quietly put himself in contention for a T20I comeback after last having played for India in July 2021. RCB’s spin-bowling all-rounder enjoyed a highly impactful season with both the ball and bat. His match-winning performance of 43 off 28 balls and 2-16 in just 3.3 overs proved vital in the team’s Qualifier 1 win over GT. Overall, the 34-year-old chipped in with 226 runs at an impressive average of 37.67 and claimed 14 wickets in 16 games. He has shown selectors that he possesses the big-match temperament and the all-rounder ability to make a difference.

Matches: 16
Runs: 226
Avg: 37.67
SR: 145.81
Wickets: 14
Economy: 8.42

India vs Afghanistan 2026 One-off Test: Shubman Gill’s Indian cricket team will change gears after a couple of months of action-packed IPL 2026 as they will dive into white-ball cricket with a one-off Test against Afghanistan beginning at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, from Saturday. The game will not be a part of the World Test Championships 2025-27 season with no points on offer for either teams.

It will be the first time that Team India will be taking on neighbours Afghanistan in a Test match in 8 years. The last game between the two sides took place in June 2018 in Bengaluru which the Indians won by massive innings and 262 runs under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. It was Afghanistan’s first-ever multi-day match since getting Test match status from the ICC.

The Indian Test squad have already arrived in Chandigarh for the Test match, which begins on Saturday. Skipper Shubman Gill, his deputy KL Rahul apart from wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy were the first to arrive in the city for the Test match.

It will be India’s first Test since their 2-0 home series defeat to South Africa last year. The one-off Test will serve as an important build-up for India as they gear up for upcoming overseas assignments in Sri Lanka and New Zealand later this year on the WTC calendar.

Also Read | BIG worry for Team India after IPL 2026 ahead of ODI series vs Afghanistan, star player has been asked to…

One of the cricketers in line to make a debut for India in the one-off Test could be Vidarbha and Sunrisers Hyderabad left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, picked in place of experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. “If you ask any cricketer, he will say that he wants to play for India and play for a long time. But instead of thinking too far ahead, I prefer to focus on what is in my hands, one game at a time.

“If I am playing an IPL game today, my focus is on what I can do better today. If I am playing for India tomorrow, I will focus on what more I can do for my team, rather than thinking about playing for the next 10 years. I don’t want to think too far ahead about playing the 2027 World Cup or winning the WTC for India. I just want to stay in the present and do the best I can with what is in my hands,” Dubey told JioStar.

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#TeamIndia hits the nets as the red ball grind gets underway ahead of the #INDvAFG Test @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/bD3z1osQcB

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 3, 2026

Here is all you need to know about the India vs Afghanistan 2026 one-off Test…

When is India vs Afghanistan 2026 one-off Test going to take place?

The India vs Afghanistan 2026 one-off Test will be played between June 6 and 10, 2026.

Where will India vs Afghanistan 2026 one-off Test take place?

The India vs Afghanistan 2026 one-off Test will take place at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.

How can I watch India vs Afghanistan 2026 one-off Test LIVE on TV in India?

The India vs Afghanistan 2026 one-off Test will be available LIVE on TV on Star Sports network channels in India.

How can I watch India vs Afghanistan 2026 one-off Test live streaming in India?

The India vs Afghanistan 2026 one-off Test will be available for live streaming on JioStar website and app.

India vs Afghanistan one-off Test preview. (Source: NotebookLM)

India vs Afghanistan 2026 one-off Test Squads

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

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmanullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafudin Ashraf, Nangyal Kharotai, Qais Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Zia Sharifi, Saleem Safi

Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan, 40, posted a heartfelt message to wife Sophie on the occasion of her 35th birthday on Tuesday.

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A post shared by Shikhar Dhawan (@shikhardofficial)

Dhawan shared a series of pictures of the couple to his 19.5 million Instagram followers and captioned it: “Zindagi mein bahut si blessings hai, tum unmein se sabse special ho [I have plenty of blessings in my life, but you’re the most special one]. Happy Birthday.”

The couple tied the knot earlier this year in February.