IND vs AFG One-Off Test: The Indian men’s cricket team is all set to unveil their red-ball kits and kickstart their 2026 Test calendar against a resurgent Afghanistan side. The much-awaited one-off Test match is scheduled to start on this Saturday, June 6 and will also create history as the first-ever Test match to be hosted at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.
Leadership and Order Adjustments
All eyes will be on young prodigy Shubman Gill, who returns to lead the side after a neck injury ruled him out of India’s last Test assignment against South Africa last year. Gill, who had a blistering run in IPL 2026 as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, will anchor the middle order in his regular No. 4 slot – a role he inherited after Virat Kohli’s retirement. Gill has a stellar record at No.4 having accumulated 939 runs in just 13 innings.
Meanwhile the selection committee has re-ordered the hierarchy of leadership. Rishabh Pant is still India’s first-choice wicketkeeper, but has been replaced as vice-captain by a returning KL Rahul. Rahul is expected to open the batting with explosive Yashasvi Jaiswal, something which we have seen before.
The Crucial No. 3 and No. 5 Conundrum
With the opening spots settled, a tantalising choice dilemma boils for the No. 3 spot. Both Washington Sundar and Sai Sudharsan have played the role in India’s previous Test outings. But it is left-hander Devdutt Padikkal who has thrown his hat in the ring after a sensational red hot IPL 2026 campaign with RCB.
If the team management continues with Sudharsan’s stability at No. 3, Padikkal is expected to move down to No. 5. There is stiff competition in Dhruv Jurel who is in absolute peak form and very well could be a specialist specialist batter despite Pant holding the gloves.
Spin Experimentation and Fresh Pace Duos
In the bowling department, sure starters include Washington Sundar (spin-bowling all-rounder), Nitish Kumar Reddy (pace all-rounder) and Kuldeep Yadav (premier wrist-spinner). But there is an interesting tactical battle for the second spinner’s spot between Vidarbha’s Harsh Dubey and Rajasthan’s Manav Suthar. Both have lit up the domestic circuit which means Mullanpur is almost certain to see a new Indian Test debutant.
Mohammed Siraj will lead the seam attack in the absence of spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. Prasidh Krishna is the favourite to partner him with the new ball although local Punjab speedster Gurnoor Brar remains a dark horse for a surprise call-up on his home turf.
IND vs AFG: Predicted India Playing XI
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harsh Dubey/Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
