Historic India vs Afghanistan Test from June 14 in Bangalore

Afghanistan cricket team will play their maiden Test match against India from June 14 to 18 in Bangalore.

Afghanistan cricket team will play their historic and maiden cricket Test against India from June 14 to 18 in Bangalore. It will be a major boost to the war-ravaged country’s cricketing profile.

Afghanistan earned their Test status in June 2017. (Getty Images)

The decision was taken after officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) met in New Delhi on Tuesday.

READ | Ex-India coach Gary Kirsten hit by ball during practice, suffers facial injuries

“Considering that June is a rainy month, we thought it was best to host the historic Test in Bangalore,” BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said.

Bangalore was in the running as the leading venue for the match after the BCCI, last month, announced that it would host the South Asian neighbours’ entry into Test cricket after they earned the status alongside Ireland in June 2017.

READ | Big Bash League 2017-18: Melbourne Stars crash out after loss to Sydney Sixers

Their respective boards were made full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), becoming the sport’s 11th and 12h Test-playing nations.

Besides welcoming them into five-day cricket, the BCCI has extended a helping hand to Afghanistan on a number of occasions.

The Afghanistan cricket team has hosted its home games in India, most recently the series against Ireland in Greater Noida.

READ | Sarfraz Ahmed hails Colin de Grandhomme’s knock as Pakistan stare 0-5 whitewash

Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi became the first two Afghanistan cricketers to be bought at the Indian Premier League (IPL) players’ auction last year.

Thirteen Afghan players have registered themselves for the IPL auction on January 27-28.

(With inputs from PTI)