IND vs AFG: India's strongest playing XI vs Afghanistan for one-off test - Predicted
(Courtesy : BCCI)
The IND vs AFG one-off test will start on June 6.
India are gearing up for the one-off test against Afghanistan. The encounter will be played from June 6 to 10 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.
Shubman Gill will lead India in the Test match, which is not part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. Three new faces have also been given a spot in India’s squad, while many key players have been retained. Let’s take a look at India’s predicted playing XI for IND vs AFG Test.
India’s predicted XI for Afghanistan Test
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal will be the opener for India in the encounter. He also played in the last Test series against South Africa. He flopped with his performance in the campaign and will aim for a better show against Afghanistan.
KL Rahul
KL Rahul has been named as the new vice-captain of the team. He will be the other opener for India against Afghanistan. He had a fabulous season with Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026, finishing as the team’s leading run-scorer.
Sai Sudharsan
Sai Sudharsan will take the one-down position. He recently impressed with his performance in IPL 2026 for the Gujarat Titans. The left-handed batsman has played six tests so far, scoring 302 runs with two half-centuries.
Shubman Gill (C)
Shubman Gill will lead India in the one-off test against Afghanistan. He will grab the No. 4 batting slot and aim for a brilliant show with the bat. Gill was a stand-out batsman in IPL 2026, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer.
Devdutt Padikkal
Devdutt Padikkal might be added to the middle-order. He impressed with his performance in the Ranji Trophy for Karnataka earlier this year. He is highly likely to get a place in the playing XI after his batting heroics in domestic cricket and IPL 2026.
Rishabh Pant (WK)
Rishabh Pant has lost the vice-captaincy but remains the primary choice as wicketkeeper. He will keep the gloves and bat in the middle order for India. Pant struggled with his poor form in IPL 2026. He will aim for a comeback in the Afghanistan Test.
Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar will be a key spin all-rounder for the side. He will bat in the lower-order and lend a hand in the bowling department. Sundar impressed with his performance in the last test series against South Africa.
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Nitish Kumar Reddy is expected to be another all-rounder in India’s playing XI vs Afghanistan. He will be an extra pacer in the playing XI. He showed decent form in IPL 2026 for SRH.
Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj will lead India’s pace attack in the Test match against Afghanistan. In Jasprit Bumrah’s absence, he will have the responsibility of the pace unit. Siraj showed good form in the recently concluded IPL 2026.
Prasidh Krishna
Prasidh Krishna has made a comeback to the Test team after a long time, as he last played against England in July 2025. He will be another pacer in the playing XI.
Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav will lead India’s spin attack against Afghanistan. Recently, he struggled with his form in IPL 2026 and aims for a big comeback in the encounter. Kuldeep is currently India’s main spinner in the Test team.
When will the IND vs AFG Test match start?
The encounter will start on June 6.
What is the venue of the IND vs AFG one-off Test?
The venue of the match is Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.