IND vs AFG 2026: Why is Devdutt Padikkal not playing in one-off Test?

India will face Afghanistan in a one-off Test match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, from June 6 to 10. This will be only the second Test meeting between the two nations, with their first red-ball encounter taking place eight years ago. The venue will also become the 31st Test ground in India.

India return to Test cricket after a six-month break and will be eager to begin their international season on a positive note. Afghanistan, meanwhile, will look to showcase their growing experience and talent as they take on one of the toughest teams in world cricket.

India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat first, citing the hot and humid conditions at the venue. Speaking after the toss, Gill expressed his delight at leading the side on his home turf and acknowledged the importance of the upcoming Test cycle, with nine matches remaining. He added that the team is focused on producing its best performances and building momentum from the start of the season. Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi revealed that he too would have preferred to bat first. Shahidi emphasized his side’s commitment to playing positive cricket and stated that the team had prepared well for the challenge.

India handed a Test debut to Manav Suthar in the one-off match against Afghanistan at Mullanpur. Ahead of the game, head coach Gautam Gambhir had indicated that Sai Sudharsan would be given an opportunity in the playing XI, a decision that meant Devdutt Padikkal missed out on selection. Afghanistan also included a debutant, with Nangeyalia Kharote earning his maiden Test cap.

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. The preparation has been good. Got a good couple of days of sleep. Nine Test matches after this, we've got quite a few home Test matches. It's about getting the combination right. We've got Manav Suthar making his debut.

We wanted to bat as well as the wicket looks good. We need to play good cricket. We are ready for the challenge. We like challenges. We are well prepared for this game. We had a good preparation camp in Kabul. (On Richard Pybus) He's good, he's also a very positive person, his mindset is positive. We have three seamers and two spinning combinations.. We have one debutant - Nangeyalia Kharote.

KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Afsar Zazai(w), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Mohammad Saleem Safi