New Delhi: India’s Test squad arrived in New Chandigarh on Tuesday ahead of their lone Test against Afghanistan, which starts on June 6 at the Maharaja Yadvendra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Milanpur. This marks India’s return to red ball cricket after the match ends. IPL 2026 and will be led by captain Shubman Gul. Players including vice-captain KL Rahul, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant, and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy were seen accompanying the squad as preparations continued.Although the Afghanistan Test is not part of the current World Test Championship cycle, it is an important opportunity for India to regain confidence in the longest format. The team has not played a Test since losing the home series 2-0 against South Africa last year. With challenging tours to Sri Lanka and New Zealand scheduled for late 2026, India will use this match to sharpen their game and build momentum.Watch the video of Team India arriving in New ChandigarhThe squad has a mix of established stars and emerging talent, and training sessions are expected to begin soon after the team fine-tunes their plans for the match.For Afghanistan, the one-off Test provides another opportunity to gauge their progress against one of the strongest teams in world cricket. The visitors have gradually gained experience in the format and will aim to mount a strong challenge.The two teams have met only once before in Test cricket. They first met in Bengaluru in 2018, when Afghanistan played their first Test match. India dominated the contest, winning by an innings and 262 runs within two days.The upcoming match will be the first Red Ball match between India and Afghanistan since the historic meeting eight years ago.
