Mullanpur to make Test debut in June
PCA to become India’s 31st venue when Afghan team plays first game of series
The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) International Cricket stadium, Mullanpur, will achieve a new milestone by hosting its first ever Test match in June, and become India’s 31st Test venue.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced hosting the Afghanistan national cricket team in a five-day match from June 6 to 10. This will be the first Test match at the newly built Mullanpur stadium after it recorded its debut by hosting a T20 International (India vs South Africa) match last December. The stadium has hosted two ODIs between the Indian and Australian women teams in September 2025, besides hosting IPL matches for two seasons.
The Afghanistan team tour will also feature a three-match ODI series, scheduled in Dharamsala (June 14), Lucknow (June 17) and Chennai (June 20). Afghanistan had last played a bilateral series against India in India in 2024, a three-match T20I series. Their only previous Test against India in India was in 2018 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
“The PCA is thankful to the BCCI for allotting the match. This is a proud moment for all cricket lovers and for the PCA, and it will also start a new chapter in PCA history. We are eager to host this match amid the best of the facilities for the fans and for the players,” said Siddhant Sharma, honorary secretary, PCA.
“The PCA will leave no stone unturned to host this match in a successful manner. In coming weeks, the committee will make sure everything goes as planned to make the hosting of the first Test match unforgettable. The PCA has hosted IPL matches, T20 International and two ODIs, and now this Test match...this shows the PCA’s commitment towards cricket. Also, the five-day match will be held in summer, and the PCA will plan every possible way to provide spectators relief,” added Amarjit Singh Mehta, president, PCA.
The Test match will also boost PCA to ask for hosting future major tournaments. The 35,000 spectator-capacity venue has a total of 1,620 parking slots, 16 gates, eight ramps, 21 lifts and six pavilions. The stadium is also the region’s first to have herringbone drainage system, which allows matches to restart within 30 minutes of stopping of heavy rain.
PCA to pick general secretary
In another development, the PCA will pick the new general secretary by hosting elections on March 21. In June 2025, Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh resigned from the post of general secretary of the PCA just days after assuming charge, citing personal reasons. Surprisingly, Kulwant was elected unanimously and was expected to complete the full three-year term. After him, Siddhant Sharma, joint secretary, PCA, was taking care of the secretary’s charge.
Meanwhile, the announcement to pick the new general secretary was made through an official election notice issued by former state Election Commissioner Jagpal Singh Sandhu, who has been appointed as the electoral officer for the process. The election will be conducted through secret ballot, and proxy voting on behalf of individual members will not be permitted.
