India vs Afghanistan Test Today — New Chandigarh Gets Its First Test Match as India’s 31st Venue, 4th Venue from Punjab-Chandigarh

India vs Afghanistan Test in New Chandigarh: New Chandigarh’s Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium hosts its first-ever Test match on June 6 as India face Afghanistan. Tickets, history, squads and all you need to know.

North Desk Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 2

New Chandigarh (Mullanpur) writes a new chapter in Indian cricket history on Saturday. When India and Afghanistan take the field at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur today, the venue will host its maiden Test match — becoming India’s 31st Test ground and entering a select club that includes Eden Gardens, Lord’s and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

For Punjab, for the Tricity, and for the Punjab Cricket Association, it is a moment long in the making.

A Decade of Waiting

The PCA first announced plans for the Mullanpur stadium in March 2010 — an international-standard facility spread over 41.95 acres in the then-nascent township of New Chandigarh, at a projected cost of ₹230 crore. It took over a decade to complete. The ground was established in 2021, hosted its first domestic matches soon after, and became Punjab Kings’ IPL home from the 2024 season onward. With a bowl-shaped design, floodlights, a state-of-the-art drainage system capable of clearing the outfield within 25–30 minutes of rain, and seating for 38,000, it is among the finest cricket facilities in the country.

Its international journey began modestly. The first women’s ODI at the venue was played in September 2025 when India hosted Australia. The first men’s T20I followed in December 2025 — India vs South Africa. The stands named after Yuvraj Singh and Harmanpreet Kaur, inaugurated that same month, gave the ground its local and national identity. A Test match, the game’s highest form, was always the ultimate aspiration. That moment arrives in four days.

India’s 31st Test Venue — and the 125th in the World

India vs Afghanistan Test in New Chandigarh: Test cricket has been played in India since 1933 — the first match on Indian soil was played at Gymkhana Ground in Bombay. Over the decades, cities from Kolkata to Kanpur, from Chennai to Cuttack, have earned their place on the Test map. Guwahati became India’s 30th Test venue as recently as November 2025, when the Barsapara Cricket Stadium hosted India vs South Africa — also becoming the 124th Test venue in the world. New Chandigarh will be the 31st in India and the 125th globally.

The old IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali — the PCA’s previous home, 15 kilometres away — gave Punjab cricket its Test and limited over matches identity for decades, hosting memorable matches including India’s semi-final win over Pakistan in the 2011 World Cup. Mullanpur is now its successor, and this Test is the formal handover.

The Jalandhar and Chandigarh Sector 16 Stadium have hosted Test Matches earlier–making Mullanpur the fourth Test Venue in Punjab and Chandigarh. It’s sort of a record in itself–a total of 31 venues in India, and four of them in Punjab/Chandigarh alone! It’s another matter that out of these, only the Mullanpur stadium hosts international matches now including the IPL matches.

The Rivalry: Only One Test in Eight Years

India vs Afghanistan Test in New Chandigarh: India and Afghanistan have met in Test cricket exactly once. That match, played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in June 2018, was Afghanistan’s debut Test — their first since being granted Test status by the ICC a year earlier. It did not go well for the Afghan side.

India, captained by Ajinkya Rahane in the absence of Virat Kohli, posted 474 in their only innings. Shikhar Dhawan top-scored with 107. Afghanistan were bowled out for 109 in their first innings and, following on, for 103 in their second. Ravindra Jadeja was the wrecker-in-chief with six wickets across both innings. The match lasted just two days — a harsh introduction to the longest format.

India vs Afghanistan Test in New Chandigarh: Eight years later, Afghanistan return as a very different team. They beat Pakistan in a Test in 2023. They famously defeated England at the T20 World Cup in 2024. Their spin attack — Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad — is one of the most potent in world cricket, and India’s batters know these names well from years of IPL combat. The question now is whether Afghanistan can translate white-ball fearlessness into five-day grit on turning Indian pitches.

India, captained by Shubman Gill — himself a Punjab product from Fazilka — will not take anything lightly.

India vs Afghanistan Test in New Chandigarh: The Squads

India’s Test squad: Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harsh Dubey, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar.

With Jasprit Bumrah rested and Mohammed Siraj not named in the Test squad, the pace department has clear openings. Among those expected to fill them is Gurnoor Brar — a 25-year-old right-arm fast bowler from Muktsar, Punjab, who has earned his maiden international call-up on the back of a standout domestic season.  

Tickets: How to Watch Live

Fans in the Tricity have a rare opportunity to watch a Test match from their own backyard. Ticket prices for the New Chandigarh Test are:

Tickets are available on BookMyShow. The Mullanpur stadium is approximately 30 -40 minutes from Chandigarh International Airport situated in Mohali.  

Play begins at 9:30 AM IST each day.

Where to Watch on TV and Online

The Test will be broadcast live on Star Sports and Sports18. Live streaming is available on JioHotstar.

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