India vs Afghanistan One-Off Test 2026 — Live Score, Teams and Key Facts

One of the most significant matches in the history of Afghanistan cricket is underway right now. The one-off Test between India and Afghanistan — only the second time these two nations have met in the longest format of the game — began on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh, and it is already delivering compelling cricket on what is the stadium's maiden Test match.

India won the toss and elected to bat first. The Men in Blue are building an opening partnership, with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the crease as Afghanistan's pacers look to extract early movement from a fresh pitch.

India vs Afghanistan Test: Live Score Update

India 1st Innings — Day 1, Session 1:

• India elected to bat after winning the toss
• Openers: Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul
• Afghanistan's Mohammad Saleem (Saleem Safi) making early inroads — has claimed Jaiswal's wicket
• India are building steadily despite early Afghan pressure
• Follow this article for session-by-session updates throughout the five-day match (June 6–10)

Why This Match Matters: Afghanistan's Test Cricket Journey

To understand why this one-off Test is generating so much excitement — particularly across South Asia — you need to understand what it means for Afghanistan cricket.

Afghanistan were granted Full Member status by the ICC in 2017 — the same year they played their inaugural Test match. In the years since, they have been one of the most exciting stories in world cricket: a team built by players who grew up playing in refugee camps, on dust pitches in Pakistan, with makeshift equipment, dreaming of representing a country torn apart by decades of war.

In white-ball cricket, Afghanistan has shocked the world repeatedly. They eliminated Pakistan in the T20 World Cup. They almost beat Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Rashid Khan has become one of the most recognizable cricketers on the planet.

In red-ball cricket, the journey has been harder. Tests require five-day endurance, patience, technical refinement, and conditions very different from the short-form game. This is only Afghanistan's second Test against India — and the very fact that it is happening, in front of a crowd at a major Indian stadium, represents the continued growth and legitimization of Afghan cricket on the world stage.

The match is not part of the World Test Championship cycle — the ICC restricts WTC points to its top-nine ranked full members — but its significance goes well beyond points tables. It is about building red-ball culture, developing young Afghan cricketers against world-class opposition, and giving the Afghan cricket program a platform it rarely gets at this level.

Teams and Key Players

India Playing XI: India have named a squad that balances experienced Test players with exciting younger talent. Key names include:

• Yashasvi Jaiswal — explosive left-handed opener, one of India's brightest young Test stars
• KL Rahul — experienced opener and vice-captain, known for his technical correctness
• Sai Sudharsan — exciting young batter making waves in Indian cricket
• Manav Suthar — making his Test debut today, earning his maiden Test cap in what will be a moment he never forgets
• India's bowling attack includes a mix of pace and spin to test the Afghan batting lineup on a New Chandigarh surface

Head coach Gautam Gambhir has spoken positively about this match as a platform for India's fringe players, calling it a "positive move" to promote red-ball cricket and give younger squad members meaningful Test experience.

Afghanistan Playing XI: Afghanistan have named a squad led by their most experienced players, with a bowling attack built around their formidable spin attack — though in the current conditions with the new ball, their pace bowlers are leading the charge.

• Rashid Khan — captain and global superstar, one of the best leg-spinners in the world
• Mohammad Nabi — veteran all-rounder, massive experience across all formats
• Saleem Safi (Mohammad Saleem) — pace bowler making early impact on Day 1
• Rahmat Shah — the backbone of the Afghan Test batting lineup
• Ibrahim Zadran — technically accomplished opener who has impressed in red-ball cricket
• Nangeyalia Kharote — making his Test debut alongside India's Manav Suthar

This match features two Test debutants — one from each side — making it a day of historic personal firsts alongside the national significance of the fixture.

New Chandigarh's First-Ever Test Match

The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh — also known as the Mullanpur Cricket Stadium — is hosting its first-ever Test match today. The ground, located on the outskirts of Chandigarh in Punjab, has hosted IPL matches for the Punjab Kings but had not previously staged a Test.

It is a fitting venue for a historic occasion — a ground writing its own first Test chapter as two nations make their own piece of cricket history together.

The India-Afghanistan Rivalry: How Did We Get Here?

India and Afghanistan have played just one previous Test match — in Bengaluru in June 2018, when India won by an innings and 262 runs in just two days of play. It was a brutal result, but an important moment for Afghan cricket — their first Test against one of the game's superpowers.

In the eight years since, Afghanistan cricket has grown enormously. Their T20 World Cup performances, their rising Test rankings, and a generation of talented players — many of them coached by Indian and Pakistani mentors — have made them a far more credible red-ball proposition than they were in 2018.

Today's Test will be a chance to see how far they have come.

In white-ball cricket, the two nations have had some memorable clashes — including India's tight victory over Afghanistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup Super 8 stage, where Suryakumar Yadav's 53 from 28 balls proved decisive.

But a five-day Test is a different world entirely. Rashid Khan — the destroyer in T20 cricket — becomes a patient, plotting captain in Test cricket. India's batting lineup — which feasts on power-play aggression in white-ball formats — must demonstrate the discipline and technique to grind through long sessions.

What to Watch on Day 1

India's batting approach: India batted first on a pitch that is likely to offer more to batters as the match progresses. Expect them to target a big first-innings total — 400+ would put them in a commanding position. KL Rahul and Jaiswal's opening stand will set the tone.

Saleem Safi's new ball spell: The Afghan pace bowler has already claimed Jaiswal's wicket and is attacking the stumps relentlessly. If Afghanistan can take multiple early wickets, the match becomes far more interesting than the 2018 result suggested was possible.

Rashid Khan's bowling plans: The highlight of any India-Afghanistan match is when Rashid gets the ball. On a Test pitch that will increasingly turn as the match progresses, Rashid's leg-spin could become a serious weapon in the second innings — particularly if India bat well and he has time to study the surface.

Manav Suthar's debut: The young Indian spinner is earning his first Test cap today. Every Test debutant carries the weight of that moment for a lifetime. Watch how he handles it when his turn comes.

Key Takeaways

• India vs Afghanistan one-off Test is LIVE — Day 1 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh, June 6, 2026
• India won the toss and elected to bat first; KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal opened
• Saleem Safi (Mohammad Saleem) has claimed an early wicket for Afghanistan
• This is only the second-ever Test between India and Afghanistan — the first was in 2018, won by India by an innings and 262 runs
• Two Test debutants: Manav Suthar (India) and Nangeyalia Kharote (Afghanistan)
• The match is NOT part of the World Test Championship cycle but is hugely significant for the development of Afghan Test cricket
• Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium is hosting its maiden Test match today
• The match runs June 6–10, 2026; follow for daily session updates