New Delhi: Afghanistan will host India for a three-match T20I series at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in Delhi from September 13 to 17, with all three matches scheduled at the same venue.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have confirmed the schedule, with the first T20I set to be played on September 13, followed by the second on September 15 and the third on September 17.
The series is part of Afghanistan’s Future Tours Programme and will be staged in India, continuing the arrangement under which Afghanistan has played several of its home fixtures in the country in recent years.
The announcement adds another chapter to the increasingly strong cricketing relationship between India and Afghanistan. The two sides have developed a competitive rivalry across formats, while Afghanistan’s leading players have also built a strong following among Indian cricket fans.
Afghanistan’s home series to be played in Delhi
Although Afghanistan are officially the hosts, the three-match series will be played in India.
The decision reflects Afghanistan’s recent approach to hosting international cricket away from home. The country has used India and the United Arab Emirates as venues for home fixtures, allowing its national team to continue playing international cricket while providing an established infrastructure for visiting teams.
For this series, the Arun Jaitley Stadium has been selected as the sole venue.
Playing all three matches at one ground will give both teams familiarity with the conditions. It will also provide Delhi cricket fans with three opportunities to watch an international T20I series featuring India and one of the fastest-growing teams in world cricket.
The first match will take place on September 13, while the second and third T20Is will follow on September 15 and September 17 respectively.
BCCI reiterates support for Afghanistan cricket
BCCI President Mithun Manhas welcomed the series and emphasised India’s continued support for the development of cricket in Afghanistan.
Manhas said bilateral cricket provides teams with regular opportunities to compete against strong opposition and gain valuable international experience.
He also welcomed the Afghanistan Cricket Board to India and indicated that the BCCI wants to strengthen its relationship with Afghanistan cricket.
The BCCI has played an important role in helping Afghanistan maintain access to high-level international cricket, particularly when the Afghanistan team has needed to stage home fixtures outside the country.
The upcoming T20I series is another example of that cooperation.
For Afghanistan, regular matches against India are particularly valuable as the team continues its development in the international game.
India and Afghanistan have built a strong cricketing connection
India and Afghanistan’s cricket relationship has grown rapidly over the past decade.
One of the biggest milestones came in 2018, when India hosted Afghanistan for the Afghanistan team’s historic first Test match.
That encounter marked Afghanistan’s entry into Test cricket and was an important moment in the development of the country’s international programme.
Since then, the two teams have continued to meet regularly in bilateral series and multinational competitions.
Their T20I encounters have attracted particular attention because Afghanistan have developed into a formidable side in the shortest format.
The team possesses several world-class spin bowlers and explosive batters, while India’s depth in T20 cricket makes every meeting between the two sides an important contest.
Three-match T20I schedule
The series will consist of three matches spread across five days.
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | September 13 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| 2nd T20I | September 15 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| 3rd T20I | September 17 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
The short gap between the matches means both teams will have to manage their players carefully.
T20 cricket places significant demands on fast bowlers and all-rounders in particular, making squad rotation and workload management potentially important factors during the series.
The three-match format also leaves little room for recovery after a poor start. A team winning the opening two matches would seal the series before the final game, while a 1-1 scoreline would make the third T20I a potential decider.
Afghanistan recently toured India
The upcoming series is not the first bilateral engagement between the two teams in recent times.
According to the BCCI, Afghanistan most recently toured India for a three-match ODI series in June.
The latest T20I series between the teams took place in January 2024, when India hosted Afghanistan for three matches.
The continued frequency of these fixtures demonstrates how quickly the bilateral relationship has developed.
The teams have now competed against each other across all three formats, including Tests, ODIs and T20Is.
That is a significant development for Afghanistan, which only became a full member of the International Cricket Council in 2017 and played its first Test a year later.
Delhi set for another international cricket series
The Arun Jaitley Stadium is expected to provide the setting for an important T20I series between two teams with contrasting levels of experience.
India have an enormous pool of international and domestic T20 talent, while Afghanistan have established themselves as a dangerous limited-overs team through their strong spin attack and aggressive batting.
For Delhi spectators, the series could offer an opportunity to see some of the biggest names from both sides.
Rohan Jaitley, President of the Delhi and District Cricket Association, welcomed the decision to stage all three matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
He said the DDCA was delighted to host both teams and expressed confidence that the series would give Delhi fans the chance to enjoy high-quality international cricket.
The stadium has hosted numerous major international matches over the years and remains one of India’s prominent cricket venues.
A significant series for Afghanistan
For Afghanistan, the series carries significance beyond the three matches themselves.
ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf described the series as another important step in the relationship between Afghanistan cricket and the BCCI.
Afghanistan have faced challenges in establishing a permanent home venue for international cricket, making overseas hosting arrangements an important part of their international programme.
The decision to stage this series in India provides the ACB with access to established cricket infrastructure while allowing its players to compete against one of the strongest teams in international cricket.
Ashraf also said the series could create opportunities in commercial, technical and cricketing areas.
For a developing cricket nation, these regular bilateral engagements can help improve player experience and strengthen administrative and commercial relationships.
India-Afghanistan rivalry continues to grow
While India remain the more established cricketing power, Afghanistan have increasingly demonstrated that they can compete with leading teams.
Afghanistan’s rise has been particularly noticeable in T20 cricket, where their players have gained extensive experience in franchise competitions around the world.
Their spin resources have often been a major strength, while their batting unit has developed greater depth.
India, meanwhile, continue to possess one of the deepest talent pools in the format.
The combination makes the upcoming series intriguing, particularly because the matches will be played in Delhi, where conditions could influence team combinations and tactics.
The teams will also have to adapt to the demands of playing three matches at the same venue within a short period.
All three formats now part of bilateral history
The September series will further expand a bilateral relationship that has already covered the complete international cricket calendar.
The two sides have played Test cricket, with India’s hosting of Afghanistan’s first Test in 2018 representing a historic milestone.
They have also met in ODIs and T20Is, with the shorter format producing several closely followed contests.
The January 2024 T20I series in India was particularly notable for the attention it generated among fans, while the latest ODI engagement in June added another chapter to the rivalry.
The upcoming September series will therefore not be an isolated event but part of a broader pattern of regular cricketing exchanges.
Conclusion
The Afghanistan-India three-match T20I series will be played at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in Delhi from September 13 to 17, with matches scheduled on September 13, 15 and 17.
Although Afghanistan are the designated hosts, the series will take place in India as part of the country’s recent arrangements for staging home fixtures overseas.
The series underlines the growing relationship between the ACB and BCCI and gives Afghanistan another opportunity to test themselves against one of the world’s leading cricket teams. With all three matches being played in Delhi, fans can look forward to an intense five-day T20I contest between two sides that have developed an increasingly competitive rivalry.