So Indian cricket team has finally landed in Mullanpur for their Test match against Afghanistan . After so much IPL 2026 action,it's honestly bit weird to think about red-ball cricket again.
The team arrived on June 2 for this one-off Test which is happening on June 6 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium . And all eyes are on Shubman Gill,who is leading the side.
And of course,the usual arrival pictures were all over internet . We saw KL Rahul,who is the new vice-captain,plus Rishabh Pant and even all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy checking into hotel.
And honestly,this match feels important .
It's their first Test since that 2-0 series loss to South Africa last year,so they really need to get some confidence back . This one is not part of the World Test Championship cycle,but it’s good practice before they tour Sri Lanka and New Zealand later this year.
Few things standing out rn:
- Shubman Gill is leading a team that has both youth and experience.
- This is India's first chance to regain momentum after that South Africa series defeat .
- For Afghanistan,it's a massive opportunity to play against a top side.
And for Afghanistan team,this is a huge deal ah . Their last Test against India was way back in 2018,which was their first ever Test match . India won that match by innings and 262 runs. Big margin.
So Afghanistan will be looking to show how much they've grown since then . They are not same team from 2018,that's for sure.
Both teams are expected to start training soon to get their strategies right . India needs to assert its dominance,and Afghanistan wants to make a statement .
It will be interesting to see how the team performs under Gill's leadership in this format . Switching from the fast pace of IPL to the patience of Test cricket is never easy…
