Team India kick off red-ball preparations ahead of Afghanistan Test

New Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], June 3 (ANI): Team India hit the ground running as the Shubman Gill-led side got their red-ball preparations underway ahead of their one-off Test against Afghanistan, which is slated to begin on Saturday at New Chandigarh.

Team India posted a video on their X handle, showcasing the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and KL Rahul, among others, being involved in a full-on training session, with head coach Gautam Gambhir overseeing his men.

“Team India hits the nets as the red ball grind gets underway ahead of the #INDvAFG Test,” reads the caption of the post.

The Afghanistan Test will mark India Men’s first red-ball assignment of the year, coming less than a week after the conclusion of IPL 2026. After the Test, India will face Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series from June 14 to June 20.

Gill is set to lead the side in both formats, with KL Rahul appointed vice-captain in the longest format, replacing Rishabh Pant. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer has been named vice-captain for the 50-over format.

Notably, former India leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule joined the men’s national team as spin-bowling coach on Tuesday.

The 53-year-old will oversee India’s spin department across formats. Bahutule joins the Indian camp after a stint with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, where he served as the franchise’s spin-bowling coach. As a player, Bahutule represented India between 1997 and 2003, featuring in two Test matches and eight One-Day Internationals. Despite limited opportunities at the international level, he enjoyed a highly successful domestic career spanning nearly two decades. The leg-spinner claimed 630 wickets in 188 first-class matches and picked up 197 wickets in 143 List A games.

In his new role, Bahutule will work alongside head coach Gambhir, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, fast-bowling coach Morne Morkel, fielding coach T Dilip and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.

India’s Test squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Rishabh Pant (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar. (ANI)

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