Mullanpur Stadium Set To Become India’s 31st Test Venue; Check Full List

Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur (Source: X)

Test cricket is the oldest and most traditional format of cricket. Played across multiple days, the format demands a deep strategy, skilful play, and often more blood and sweat than any other form of the sport. 

Played between two national teams, Test matches are considered the pinnacle of the sport for their complex nature and emphasis on endurance tactics and resilience. 

For the unversed, Test cricket dates back to 1877, when it was first played between England and Australia, and was later named ‘The Ashes’. 

This was the beginning of what has evolved into a rich, competitive format with a series of iconic matches and rivalries that have defined the history of cricket. 

History of Test Cricket in India 

India made its official Test cricket debut on June 25, 1932, at Lord’s Cricket Ground against England, becoming the sixth team to be granted Test cricket status. 

Led by CK Nayudu, the Indian team put a spirited performance, with Mohammad Nissar making a mark by taking a historic fifer against the strong English side. However, despite a valiant effort, India lost the match. 

It is worth noting that in the first 50 years of its inception, Indian cricket struggled to establish itself, winning only 35 of its first 196 Test matches. 

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However, thanks to the emergence of legendary players like Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Viswanath, Kapil Dev, and the Indian spin quartet of Erapalli Prasanna, Srinivas Venkataraghavan, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, and Bishan Singh Bedi.

Decades later, Virat Kohli brought a never-before-seen side to the Indian team, which was previously described as a spin-reliant, defensive outfit, into an aggressive, pace-dominant unit with world-class fitness standards.

Looking into Virat Kohli’s stats as the captain: he has led the Men in Blue in a total of 68 Tests winning 40 and losing only 17. Thus, Kohli holds the record for the most wins as India’s Test captain with an impressive win percentage of 58.82%.

Mullanpur Stadium set to become India’s 31st Test venue

On June 6, 2026, the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA New International Cricket Stadium will become India’s 31st Test venue as the stadium will host a one-off match between India and Afghanistan. 

While the IS Bindra PCA Stadium at Mohali and Burton Park Jalandhar have previously hosted Test cricket, the new Mullanpur Stadium is the latest addition in the country’s long list of Test venues. 

On top of that, Punjab lad Shubman Gill will be leading the Indian Test side and another Punjab youngster, Gurnoor Brar, also features in the 15-member team. Thus, the moment marks special significance, as the one-off match will see Gill captaining the Indian Test team for the first time at his home ground.  

That being said, below take a look at the list of all Test venues in India. 

List of all Test Venues in India

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