The series will mark only the second Test match between India and Afghanistan, with the previous encounter taking place in 2018.

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India will host Afghanistan for a short bilateral series in June 2026, featuring a one-off Test match followed by three One-Day Internationals. The series will begin with the Test match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh starting on June 6.

After the Test match, the teams will move into the ODI leg of the tour. The three matches will be played at three different venues across India. Dharamsala will host the first ODI on June 14, followed by the second ODI in Lucknow on June 17, while the final match of the series will take place in Chennai on June 20.

This will only be the second Test match ever played between India and Afghanistan. The first Test took place in 2018 in Bengaluru, where India secured a dominant victory by an innings and 262 runs. Interestingly, that match remains the only Test played in India during the month of June, making the upcoming New Chandigarh Test just the second instance of a June Test in the country.

The match will not be part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle. Despite that, the fixture is expected to draw significant attention as Afghanistan continue to gain valuable experience in the longer format of the game.

The tour will begin just six days after the conclusion of the IPL 2026 season, whose final is scheduled for May 31. With several Indian players expected to feature in the IPL, the short gap will make the transition from franchise cricket to international duty an interesting one.

Another notable aspect of the tour is that it will mark the first-ever bilateral ODI series between India and Afghanistan. So far, the two teams have only faced each other in ODI tournaments such as the Asia Cup and the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Across all formats, India and Afghanistan last met during the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024. Since then, both teams have continued to strengthen their squads in preparation for upcoming international competitions.

For India, this series will be their first assignment after the ongoing T20 World Cup. Afghanistan, on the other hand, will arrive in India after hosting Sri Lanka in the UAE for three T20Is and three ODIs shortly after the World Cup concludes.

The series against Afghanistan will also serve as preparation for a busy international schedule for India, as they are set to tour England for a limited-overs series featuring five T20Is and three ODIs from July 1 to July 19.