IND vs AFG One-Off Test: Shubman Gill Chooses to Bat First Against Afghanistan; Manav Suthar Debuts, Check Playing XIs

India vs Afghanistan: Indian skipper Shubman Gill has won the toss and opted to bat first against Afghanistan in the One-off Test on Saturday in New Chandigarh at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. The contest comes less than a week after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final. The two sides played their first and only Test in 2018, which India won by an innings and 262 runs within two days.

Gill, who is from Punjab, is captaining for the first time in his hometown. “We are gonna bat first. Very hot and humid. It’s going to get slower and lower. Very special, I grew up playing here. It’s a great privilege to captain here,” Gill said during the toss. 

IND vs AFG Test: Manav Suthar making International Debut

Presenting #TeamIndia‘s Playing XI for the Test match against Afghanistan 🙌

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Manav Suthar makes his international debut 👏

Updates ▶️ https://t.co/Au50EfVM30#INDvAFG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/vjUVPkfCWk

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 6, 2026

Manav Suthar became the 319th player to make a debut for the Indian cricket team in the longest format. The 23-year-old is not only playing his first test but his first game for India. However, his inclusion in the playing XI resulted in some backlash for the Indian team. Shubman Gill, the Indian skipper, who is also the captain of the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, was accused of favoritism. As many as six players in the playing XI are from GT. Apart from Suthar and Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna are also part of the current Gujarat Titans team. 

Manav Suthar stats

Rajasthan all-rounder Suthar has also taken 129 wickets in 29 first-class matches at an average of 25.76, with best figures of 8/33, including six five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls. He has scored 945 runs in 48 innings at an average of 25.54, with a century and six fifties and a best score of 120. This year for the Gujarat Titans (GT), he took two wickets in four matches at an average of 34.00.

IND vs AFG Test: India vs Afghanistan Playing XIs

India Playing XI: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Afghanistan Playing XI: Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Afsar Zazai (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Mohammad Saleem Safi

Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin Slams BCCI For Suryakumar Yadav’s Exclusion As T20 Captain As India Brace For Change, Says “Communication Is Powerful”