India's Test camp scheduled ahead of Afghanistan game [Source: AFP]International cricket is set to return for the Indian team for the first time since the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup as they take on Afghanistan from June 6 onwards in New Chandigarh.Interestingly, despite a long and gruelling T20 season over the summer, the BCCI has decided to face the opposition with almost a full-strength squad, including a couple of potential debutants. The likes of captain Subhman Gill and key players Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mohammed Siraj, among others, will have a quick turnaround after the IPL playoffs, as they play Test within a week after the IPL final. IND vs AFG Test- A glimpse into the future? The Shubman Gill-led unit showed a lot of promise in Tests when they first played under him in England last year. Having tied a Test series in England, the team has been in high spirits for about a year now. Although they lost the South Africa series at home, some young names are breaking into the team, making them exciting to watch. To fill the gap in the top-order after Shubman Gill replaced Virat Kohli at 4, India have tried quite a few names in this time, with Sai Sudharsan leading the race to claim the spot. However, after some underwhelming outcomes from him and a great domestic form of Devdutt Padikkal, the Karnataka batter is also now a part of the Test setup, looking to make a mark. On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the Test, and Gurnoor Brar has received his maiden call-up. While Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna’s presence means it would be tough for him to start in the XI, if he does, it will be interesting to see what he has in his armour, especially after he was preferred over the mighty impressive Auqib Nabi. Another thing to watch out for will be the presence of two left-arm orthodox young bowlers, Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar. Dubey is already a Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy winner with record-shattering numbers, while Suthar is also making his presence felt at every given opportunity. With Ravindra Jadeja rested, we could have a peek at the future in this Test. Also Read: India vs Afghanistan Squad Announced- Full List Of Common Players In ODIs And TestIndian players to be summoned in Mullanpur Just two days after the end of the IPL, the BCCI has asked the Indian team members to come together in Mullanpur for a short pre-series camp on June 2. This could mean Shubman Gill and co. could be playing the high-intensity final in Ahmedabad on Sunday and immediately head to Punjab for the preparations. Some players, who will be fairly rested ahead of the camp, are vice-captain KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant. Most others are actively involved in the IPL playoffs. India looks to return to winning ways The last time India played a Test was back in November 2025 in Guwahati, where they suffered a painful defeat in the absence of captain Gill. That 0-2 series loss against South Africa has raised a lot of questions about the team and Gill and co. would love to start the fresh Test season with a win. Later this year, they are also supposed to tour Sri Lanka and New Zealand for a Test series, which will be exciting to watch, with the World Test Championship on the line. Also Read: Rohit Sharma’s Retirement Demanded Before 2027 World Cup
