India vs Afghanistan 2026: Shubman Gill's Men Dominate Tour With Test Innings Victory and 1-0 ODI Series Lead

India have put in a commanding display across formats against Afghanistan in the ongoing June 2026 home tour, winning the one-off Test match in New Chandigarh by an innings and 300 runs - their biggest ever Test victory - before taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series with a seven-wicket win in a rain-reduced opener at Dharamsala on June 13. Debutants starred in both matches, with spinner Manav Suthar taking a six-wicket haul in the Test and pacers Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey each claiming three wickets in the first ODI. The 2nd ODI is scheduled for June 17 at Lucknow and the 3rd for June 20 at Chennai.

Quick Facts

  • Tour: Afghanistan tour of India 2026 - one Test and three ODIs
  • Test venue and dates: New Chandigarh, June 6-8, 2026
  • Test result: India won by an innings and 300 runs - India's biggest Test victory ever
  • India's Test score: 564 for 8 declared
  • Afghanistan Test scores: 152 (1st innings) and 112 (following on)
  • Test Player of the Match: Manav Suthar (28 runs, 6 for 33 and 1 for 29 on debut)
  • 1st ODI venue and date: Dharamsala, June 13, 2026 (rain-reduced to 25 overs per side)
  • 1st ODI result: India won by 7 wickets (with 13 balls remaining)
  • Afghanistan's 1st ODI score: 194 all out in 24.5 overs
  • India's 1st ODI score: 195 for 3 in 22.5 overs
  • 1st ODI Player of the Match: Shubman Gill (84 not out off 66 balls, 2 catches)
  • India captain: Shubman Gill
  • Upcoming: 2nd ODI at Lucknow, June 17; 3rd ODI at Chennai, June 20, 2026

What Happened?

The Test Match (June 6-8, New Chandigarh): India batted first and posted a massive 564 for 8 declared, with captain Shubman Gill top-scoring with 126 off 177 balls and KL Rahul contributing a century of 100 off 165 balls. Rishabh Pant added a brisk 50 in a supporting role. Afghanistan's Mohammad Saleem Safi claimed 6 for 140 in a long bowling spell. Afghanistan were then bowled out for 152 in their first innings, with debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar claiming 6 for 33 - the third-best figures by an Indian bowler on Test debut. Rahmat Shah top-scored for Afghanistan with 60. Prasidh Krishna took 3 for 37. India enforced the follow-on and Afghanistan were bowled out again for 112, with Washington Sundar taking 4 for 36 and Kuldeep Yadav 3 for 30. Sediqullah Atal scored 42. India won by an innings and 300 runs - their biggest Test victory on record. Suthar was named Player of the Match on debut.

The 1st ODI (June 13, Dharamsala): The match was delayed by more than four hours due to persistent rain and reduced to 25 overs per side. Once play began, Afghanistan were rocked early as debutants Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey - each making their ODI debut - took three wickets apiece alongside Arshdeep Singh's two wickets. However, Rahmanullah Gurbaz launched a stunning counterattack, scoring 102 off 51 balls - the fastest ODI century by an Afghanistan batter, hitting 8 fours and 8 sixes. He shared a 116-run partnership with Hashmatullah Shahidi (27) before the tail collapsed. Afghanistan were bowled out for 194 in 24.5 overs.

India's chase was clinical. Rohit Sharma was run out for 16 after a dramatic first over from Azmatullah Omarzai that included five wides, a no-ball, and a further wide - delivering a chaotic opening to India's innings. Ishan Kishan then combined with Gill in a 70-run stand before Gill and KL Rahul (39 not out off 19 balls) sealed the chase with ease. Shubman Gill was named Player of the Match for his 84 not out off 66 balls and two catches in the field.

Key Facts

  • India's Test win by an innings and 300 runs is their largest ever victory in Test cricket.
  • Manav Suthar's debut Test figures of 6 for 33 are the third-best by an Indian bowler on Test debut.
  • Rahmanullah Gurbaz's 102 off 51 balls in the 1st ODI is the fastest ODI century ever scored by an Afghanistan batter.
  • This is the first-ever ODI series between India and Afghanistan, played on Indian soil.
  • Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, and Ziaur Rahman Sharifi made their ODI debuts in the 1st ODI. Gurbaz had also made his Test debut in the New Chandigarh match, though this was confirmed as a debut series context from ESPNcricinfo reporting.
  • Shubman Gill scored 126 in the Test and 84 not out in the 1st ODI, consolidating his standing as India's captain across both formats on this tour.
  • KL Rahul scored a Test century (100 off 165 balls) and 39 not out in the ODI chase, playing a consistent supporting role across formats.
  • Washington Sundar took 4 for 36 in Afghanistan's second Test innings, with Kuldeep Yadav taking 3 for 30 to seal the match.
  • Notably absent from India's squad for this series due to squad rotation were Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Virat Kohli, and Hardik Pandya, according to ESPNcricinfo pre-series reports.
  • Afghanistan, known internationally as the Afghan Atalans, were captained by Hashmatullah Shahidi in the Test and fielded Rashid Khan in the ODI squad.

Why It Matters

The Afghanistan tour of India in June 2026 carries significance beyond the results themselves. It marks the first-ever ODI series between India and Afghanistan played on Indian soil, giving Afghanistan exposure to Indian conditions and large home crowds ahead of future ICC events. For India, it represents a period of squad transition and depth-building, with the BCCI resting several frontline players - Bumrah, Siraj, Kohli, and Pandya - allowing newer names such as Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, and Nitish Kumar Reddy to gain international experience.

India's biggest-ever Test win by an innings and 300 runs is also a landmark for Indian cricket's records, even if the context of the opposition tempers its significance. The emergence of Manav Suthar as a debut six-wicket spinner on a New Chandigarh pitch is the more important long-term story - India are actively building their next generation of Test spinners.

What It Means for India

The tour is providing valuable competitive minutes for India's emerging players. Suthar's debut six-wicket haul signals a potential new match-winning spinner for Indian conditions. Gurnoor Brar's three-wicket ODI debut with the ball establishes him as a viable fast-bowling option at the top of the innings. Harsh Dubey's three-wicket performance reinforces India's ODI bowling depth in the absence of frontline seamers.

For Shubman Gill, captaining India across formats in the same tour - Test and ODIs - provides leadership continuity and match practice for one of India's most important batting talents. His unbeaten 84 in a 25-over chase, coming after his Test century, confirms his form across formats. India lead the ODI series 1-0 and face the Netherlands in Lucknow on June 17 - a match that, if won, would seal the series with a game to spare.

Industry Impact

No verified industry impact information is available from sources consulted for this article beyond the confirmed fixture schedule. The 2nd ODI at Lucknow and 3rd ODI at Chennai are domestic home fixtures under BCCI management, with the full BCCI broadcast and commercial infrastructure in place for the series.

Latest Developments

As of June 16, 2026, India lead the three-match ODI series 1-0 after their rain-reduced seven-wicket win in Dharamsala on June 13. The 2nd ODI between India and Afghanistan is scheduled for June 17 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, with the 3rd and final ODI set for June 20 at Chennai. The Test match was concluded on June 8 in New Chandigarh, with India winning by an innings and 300 runs. Afghanistan have not played any further scheduled matches in the current series between June 13 and June 17.

Top India News Analysis

The Afghanistan tour has served precisely the purpose the BCCI intended: competitive but manageable match exposure for India's next tier of talent. Manav Suthar's 6 for 33 on Test debut stands out as the single most significant individual performance of the tour so far, not because of what it says about Afghanistan's Test capabilities but because of what it suggests about India's spin resources in transition. With R Ashwin retired and Ravindra Jadeja's workload being managed carefully, the emergence of a left-arm spinner capable of six-wicket hauls on debut opens a productive conversation about India's long-term Test spin plans.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz's century in the ODI - the fastest ever by an Afghanistan batter - was the highlight for the visiting side. It demonstrated that Afghanistan's white-ball batting possesses genuine firepower even when the team's overall depth does not match India's. The ODI series, the first ever on Indian soil between these two nations, also marks a step forward in Afghanistan's bilateral cricket calendar. The results have not gone their way, but the exposure - against a depth-focused but still high-quality Indian side - has competitive value for their development as a Test and ODI nation.

Key Takeaways

  • India defeated Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs in the one-off Test at New Chandigarh (June 6-8) - India's biggest-ever Test victory.
  • Debutant Manav Suthar took 6 for 33 in Afghanistan's first Test innings, the third-best figures by an Indian bowler on Test debut.
  • Shubman Gill (126) and KL Rahul (100) scored centuries in India's Test total of 564 for 8 declared.
  • India won the rain-reduced 1st ODI in Dharamsala (June 13) by seven wickets, taking a 1-0 series lead.
  • Rahmanullah Gurbaz smashed 102 off 51 balls in the 1st ODI - the fastest century by an Afghanistan batter in ODI history.
  • Debutants Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey each took three wickets in the 1st ODI to trigger Afghanistan's collapse from Gurbaz's century platform.
  • Shubman Gill scored 84 not out off 66 balls and held two catches to win Player of the Match in the 1st ODI.
  • This is the first-ever ODI series between India and Afghanistan played on Indian soil.
  • The 2nd ODI is scheduled at Lucknow on June 17 and the 3rd ODI at Chennai on June 20, 2026.

Sources Consulted

  • ESPNcricinfo - Afghanistan in India 2026 series fixtures and results page
  • ESPNcricinfo - IND vs AFG Only Test Match Report, June 6-8, 2026
  • ESPNcricinfo - IND vs AFG 1st ODI Match Report, June 13, 2026
  • Outlook India - "IND Vs AFG Highlights, One-Off Test Day 3: India Hammered Afghanistan By Innings And 300 Runs," June 8, 2026
  • Outlook India - "India Vs Afghanistan Highlights, 1st ODI: Gill's Unbeaten Knock Seals Seven-Wicket Win," June 14, 2026
  • Wikipedia - "Afghan cricket team in India in 2026"

Author: R Prem Kumar

Publisher: Top India News