India Kick-Off Red-Ball Season Against Afghanistan in Mullanpur
No WTC Points but Plenty at Stake for Men in Blue
The dust has barely settled on the thrilling conclusion of the 2026 Indian Premier League, but India’s stars are already set to return to action, this time in the longest format with a one-off Test against Afghanistan starting later this afternoon. Get all the key info in our cricket predictions.
While this match will not contribute toward India’s World Test Championship campaign - given that Afghanistan are not one of the nine teams participating in the Championship - it still carries major importance for the Men in Blue ahead of a crucial run of WTC fixtures.
India are currently languishing in sixth place in the WTC League Table with four wins, four losses and a draw from their nine matches in the cycle (48.15% win rate). They trail New Zealand in second place by 29.63%, albeit the Black Caps have only played three games so far.
The Men in Blue have endured a mixed bag of results over the past 12 months, and a demanding schedule is on the horizon, including series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand before the blockbuster Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
Therefore, this week’s Test will give Gautam Gambhir and co a key opportunity to assess their current squad as well as give a few fringe players extended time in the middle to try and secure a spot in the team for the remainder of the red-ball season.
Shubman Gill will lead the team against the Afghan Atalan on his home ground at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. This will be the first-ever Test played at this ground, making it the 31st venue to stage a men’s Test match in India.
India are looking to bounce back to winning ways in the longest format after losing their two-match series against South Africa last year convincingly on home soil. Afghanistan, on the other hand, have not won a single Test match since 2023.
2025-27 World Test Championship Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | T | Ded | Con | Pts | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 96 | 84 | 87.50 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 28 | 77.78 |
| 3 | South Africa | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 36 | 75.00 |
| 4 | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 16 | 66.67 |
| 5 | Bangladesh | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 28 | 58.33 |
| 6 | India | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 52 | 48.15 |
| 7 | England | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 120 | 38 | 31.67 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 48 | 4 | 8.33 |
| 9 | West Indies | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 96 | 4 | 4.17 |
