The Afghanistan tour of India 2026 is an international bilateral cricket series whose schedule was announced and is one of the most awaited series of India’s home season. India will tour England between June 6 – 20 in 2026 for a one-off Test and three ODIs (Shubman Gill leading the Indian side in this tour).
The ODI series is especially important with both sides gearing towards the build up of the 2027 ODI World Cup and the Afghanistan tour of India 2026 offers a contrasting opportunity for the visiting team of testing their mettle against one the powerhouses of the game on their home soil.
Series Overview
In March 2026, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the Afghanistan tour of India 2026. The fixtures were announced by BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, with the Test slated for the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur (New Chandigarh) and three ODIs — at Dharamshala, (Himachal Pradesh), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu). The tour began in the days following the 2026 Indian Premier League ended on 31 May.
Full Schedule Table
| Match | Date | Venue | Result |
| Only Test | June 6–10, 2026 | New Chandigarh (Mullanpur) | India won by an innings & 300 runs |
| 1st ODI | June 13, 2026 | Dharamsala | Yet to be played |
| 2nd ODI | June 17, 2026 | Lucknow | Yet to be played |
| 3rd ODI | June 20, 2026 | Chennai | Yet to be played |
Read Also:- Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
The Only Test Match – India Dominate at New Chandigarh
Afghanistan tour of India 2026 (one-sided in the end, but with historical significance for women) – Test leg Shubman Gill captained India, while Afghanistan were captained by Hashmatullah Shahidi, who won the toss and elected to bat.
India declared its first innings at a mammoth 564/8, with Afghanistan bowled out for 152 in their first innings and asked to follow on, before crumbling to 112 all out. India won by innings &300 runs. It was India’s largest Test win ever.
Test Scorecard Summary
| Team | Innings | Score |
| India | 1st Innings | 564/8d (127 overs) |
| Afghanistan | 1st Innings | 152 all out |
| Afghanistan | 2nd Innings (Follow-on) | 112 all out |
| Result | India won by an innings & 300 runs |
Key Performers – Test Match
The Player of the Match was left-arm spinner Manav Suthar who took 6/33 in the first innings and 1/29 in the second innings on debut. Skipper Shubman Gill was in fine form, scoring a brisk 126 off 177 while KL Rahul also scored a solid century of 100. The youngster Sai Sudharsan also shined with a good 81 runs up the order.
| Player | Team | Performance |
| Manav Suthar | India | 6/33 & 1/29 (POTM) |
| Shubman Gill | India | 126 runs |
| KL Rahul | India | 100 runs |
| Sai Sudharsan | India | 81 runs |
| Washington Sundar | India | 3 wickets (2nd innings) |
| Mohammad Saleem | Afghanistan | 6/140 (1st innings) |
I was also interestingly enough the first Test match in the history of the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, who had previously only hosted T20s and ODIs.
The ODI Series – What to Expect
The white-ball leg of the Afghanistan tour of India 2026 now begins, a rather more balanced contest. An ODI side Pakistan respect, as they can boast a world-class top-order and spinners that spin a web. For both the teams, This three match ODI series promises to be an important preparation ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
ODI Schedule
| Match | Date | Venue | Time (IST) |
| 1st ODI | June 13, 2026 | HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala | 1:30 PM |
| 2nd ODI | June 17, 2026 | BRSABV Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | 1:30 PM |
| 3rd ODI | June 20, 2026 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 1:30 PM |
ODI Squad Highlights
| Team | Captain | Vice-Captain |
| India (ODI) | Shubman Gill | Shreyas Iyer |
| Afghanistan (ODI) | Hashmatullah Shahidi | – |
Series Highlights & Key Takeaways
The Afghanistan tour of India 2026 is overproducing talking points that will keep everyone busy for months. Here are the major highlights until now:
- Manav Suthar: In the records at October 2023: A six-wicket haul on Test debut, among the best debut bowling performances in Indian cricket history, to announce him as a left-arm spinner for the future.
- India’s Record Win:An innings and 300 runs: India’s victory by an innings and 300 runs is their greatest-ever victory in Test cricket, eclipsing all previous margins. The 828-run match aggregate also is the highest in a Test match between India and Afghanistan.
- Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh made its debut as one of the newest venues in Indian cricket, having made room in our geography for such a massive Stadium in this series, After Cuttack, where the Test matches of this series were set to be staged, was unco0nditioned.
- Role of Shubman Gill: Gill led with bat and captaincy, boasting a glimpse of what can be an otherwise strong Indian Test regime.
- ODIs: The Real Contest on the Cards: The 50-over format suits Afghanistan better, and hence anticipate a much tougher duel in the ODI stage of the Afghanistan tour of India 2026. While their illustrious spin trio with the best alike, even has the potential to test the value of India’s best batters in subcontinental conditions.
Afghanistan’s Historical Connection With India
For several years, based on political and security problems back in their motherland, the Afghanistan cricket team also used India as its cricketing base before moving to the UAE. And as a result, the ongoing Afghanistan tour of India 2026 turns into somewhat of a bittersweet reunion with the Indian side for the Afghans, a nation with a special bond with Indian fields and audiences.
Why the Afghanistan Tour of India 2026 Matters
Beyond a merely bilateral series, the Afghanistan tour of India 2026 is a glimpse into the futures of both teams. It acts as a good preparation and rotation for an extremely busy international calendar for India as well. It should only help Afghanistan as they get a chance to compete in formidable Indian conditions with their best players.
The third ODI in Chennai will mark the end of Afghanistan tour of India 2026 on 20 June. The two next meet in an ODI as the series switches formats, and cricket fans of both powers have a thrilling contest to look forward to a real advert for the expanding globalisation of the sport.