Cricket fans across India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan — brace yourselves! The much-awaited India vs Afghanistan 2026 cricket series is finally here. This is no ordinary bilateral series. For the very first time in cricket history, India and Afghanistan are meeting in a bilateral ODI series, making it one of the most talked-about cricketing events of the year.
Whether you are searching for the IND vs AFG 2026 schedule, squad list, key players, or match predictions — this complete guide has everything you need. Bookmark this page and keep coming back for updates!
⚡ Quick Facts — Afghanistan Tour of India 2026
- Series: Afghanistan Tour of India 2026
- Dates: June 6 – June 20, 2026
- Format: 1 Test Match + 3 ODIs
- India Captain: Shubman Gill (both formats)
- Afghanistan Captain: Hashmatullah Shahidi (both formats)
- Special Fact: First-ever bilateral ODI series between India and Afghanistan!
📋 Table of Contents
📅 India vs Afghanistan 2026 — Full Match Schedule & Venues
The series runs from June 6 to June 20, 2026, covering four different venues across India. Here is the complete match-by-match schedule:
| # | Match | Date | Venue | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Only Test | June 6–10, 2026 | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, New Chandigarh | 🔴 LIVE |
| 2 | 1st ODI (D/N) | June 13, 2026 | HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala | Upcoming |
| 3 | 2nd ODI (D/N) | June 17, 2026 | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Upcoming |
| 4 | 3rd ODI (D/N) | June 20, 2026 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Upcoming |
Note: All ODI matches start at 8:00 AM GMT (1:30 PM IST / 1:00 PM Pakistan Time).
🌟 Why This Series is Historic
The India vs Afghanistan 2026 series is creating massive buzz for several important reasons:
🔥 5 Reasons This Series is Trending
- First-ever Bilateral ODI Series: Despite facing each other in World Cups and Asia Cups, India and Afghanistan have NEVER played a bilateral ODI series before 2026. This is history in the making!
- 8-Year Gap in Tests: The last time these two teams met in Test cricket was back in 2018 — India won by an innings and 262 runs. Now, after 8 years, they meet again.
- New Indian Captain: Shubman Gill is leading Team India for the first time at home, and he is doing so at his home ground in Chandigarh — a truly special occasion.
- Rohit & Kohli Return: Cricket legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are both back in the ODI squad, making the white-ball leg even more exciting.
- 2027 World Cup Build-Up: Both teams have one eye on the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup. This series is a crucial testing ground for squad combinations.
👕 India vs Afghanistan 2026 — Official Squads
🇮🇳 India Test Squad
🇮🇳 India — Test Squad
Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (VC, wk), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Mohd Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
🇦🇫 Afghanistan — Test Squad
Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ibrahim Zadran, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Afsar Zazai (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafudin Ashraf, Qais Ahmad, Nangyal Kharoti, Bilal Sami, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Abdul Malik, Saleem Safi
🇮🇳 India ODI Squad
🇮🇳 India — ODI Squad
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harsh Dubey, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar
🇦🇫 Afghanistan — ODI Squad
Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Allah Ghazanfar, Ikram Alikhil, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Malik
Important Note: Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel have been rested for this tour to manage their workloads. Rashid Khan has also been rested for the Test match but will join for the ODIs.
⭐ Top Key Players to Watch in IND vs AFG 2026
Both squads have some incredibly talented cricketers. Here are the standout names you absolutely cannot miss:
Shubman Gill
Captaining India for the first time at home — and at his home ground in Chandigarh. Gill is currently ranked No. 1 in ODI batting. A captain's knock here would be career-defining.
Rashid Khan
The world's most dangerous spinner in white-ball cricket. Rested for the Test, Rashid will be Afghanistan's main weapon in the ODIs. India's middle order will have no easy answers.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Left-handed explosive opener who can destroy any bowling attack from ball one. Afghanistan's pace bowlers will face a serious examination against Jaiswal in the Test.
Virat Kohli
The legend returns to the ODI setup. Kohli's hunger for big scores is unmatched. Expect him to dominate in the 3-match ODI series as India eye 2027 World Cup preparations.
Rishabh Pant
Pant's aggressive batting and sharp keeping make him India's most electric Test player. His ability to change a match in one session makes him unmissable in the Chandigarh Test.
Azmatullah Omarzai
Afghanistan's best genuine all-rounder, effective with both bat and ball. If Afghanistan is to cause an upset — especially in the ODIs — Omarzai will need to be at his best.
📊 India vs Afghanistan — Head-to-Head Record
While India and Afghanistan have never met in a bilateral ODI series before, they have faced each other in major ICC events. Here is a quick summary:
| Format | Matches Played | India Won | Afghanistan Won | Last Meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2018 (Bengaluru) — India by Innings & 262 runs |
| ODI | Multiple (in ICC events) | India dominant | 0 | ICC World Cup 2023 |
| T20I | Several | India dominant | 0 | T20 World Cup 2024 |
India have historically dominated Afghanistan across all formats. However, Afghanistan's white-ball cricket has improved dramatically in recent years — particularly after their historic T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final appearance.
🔮 India vs Afghanistan 2026 — Series Prediction
🏆 Our Series Prediction
India are expected to win the Test comfortably and take the ODI series 3-0. However, Afghanistan's ODI squad — especially with Rashid Khan, Gurbaz, and Omarzai — is capable of delivering a shock. The 2nd and 3rd ODIs in Lucknow and Chennai could be competitive.
India are ranked #1 in ODI cricket with a rating of 118, while Afghanistan sit at #7 with 93 points. On paper, India are clear favourites. But in cricket, anything can happen — especially with players like Rashid Khan in the mix!
📺 India vs Afghanistan 2026 — Live Streaming & TV Channels
Here is where you can watch the series live:
| Region | TV Channel | Online / App |
|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇳 India | Star Sports Network | Disney+ Hotstar |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | PTV Sports, Ten Sports | Tapmad, Cricwick |
| 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | Ariana TV | Cricbuzz / ESPNCricinfo |
| 🌍 International | Willow TV (USA) | ESPN+, Fancode |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions — India vs Afghanistan 2026
🏁 Final Thoughts
The India vs Afghanistan 2026 series is a landmark event in cricket history. From Afghanistan's incredible journey as an underdog nation to becoming a competitive international side, to India fielding a fresh squad under Shubman Gill's bold leadership — this series has all the ingredients of something truly special.
With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returning for the ODIs, Rashid Khan ready to spin his web in the 3-match ODI series, and the historic backdrop of the first-ever bilateral ODI series between these nations, cricket fans are in for a treat throughout June 2026.
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