India To Host Afghanistan In Multi-Format Series In June 2026 As BCCI Announces Schedule

Hyderabad: India will be up against Afghanistan for the second time in Test cricket in June 2026 as the BCCI announced the schedule for the series on Monday. Notably, the two teams will meet in red-ball cricket for the first time since 2018. The tour will host a one-off Test followed by a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series.

The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh will host its maiden Test match from June 6 to June 10. The play will start at 9:30 AM IST. The series will then shift to the 50-over format. The ODI series will commence in Dharamshala on June 14. The second match will be played in Lucknow on June 17 and Chennai on June 20. All three matches will resume at 1:30 PM IST.

BCCI confirmed the schedule in a statement

"Afghanistan will play one Test match followed by a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series. The Test match will be played in New Chandigarh from June 6 to June 10, 2026. The ODI series will commence on June 14, 2026, in Dharamshala, with the subsequent matches scheduled in Lucknow and Chennai. All ODI matches will begin at 1:30 PM IST,” the release mentioned.

Only the second Test between India and Afghanistan

The previous Test between the two teams was played in June 2018 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The match was played after they were granted Test status by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2017.

Since their inaugural match, Afghanistan has played 11 Test matches and has won just three. They defeated Ireland and Bangladesh in 2019 and most recently outplayed Zimbabwe in January 2025.

Facing each other for the fifth time in ODIs

India have dominated the matchup against Afghanistan, winning thrice while one match ended in a tie. The Men in Blue will enter the series as favourites and will aim to coninue their domination in the matchup.