Afghanistan's debut Test to be played against India in Bengaluru
Afghanistan's inaugural Test is set to be played against India at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru between June 14th and 18th, this year. The match will take place an year after Afghanistan were inducted as a full-member by the ICC, in June 2017. Afghanistan will be the fourth team to play their debut Test against India after Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh.
Afghanistan's rise in cricket world
Afghanistan formed their national cricket board in 1995. Despite being a war-torn nation, with a history of conflict, Afghanistan steadily grew in the world cricket. They gained full ODI status in 2011 and turned heads with their first World Cup campaign in 2015. They put on a good show in the 2016 World T20 by beating eventual champions West Indies at the group stage.
Full Member status
Afghanistan, along with Ireland, were approved as full members of the ICC in June 2017, becoming the 11th and 12th Test playing nations. Awaiting their Test debut, the two sides will be hosted by India and Pakistan respectively to play their first Test matches.
The India connect
Apart from being invited by India to play their debut Test, Afghanistan have a close cricket bond with India. They have their training base in Delhi and have held their home games in India, including their most recent match against Ireland in Greater Noida. Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi are the first two Afghan cricketers to be bought in the IPL auction in 2017.
