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So, a compelling bilateral series might be coming up, kind of soon, because the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has reportedly got in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to arrange three T20 Internationals. Afghanistan has not hosted India in a bilateral setup before. Yet, because of the ongoing political and security struggles inside Afghanistan, the ACB is basically suggesting New Delhi as the place, for the games.

 

India vs Afghanistan T20I schedule (tentative):

 

Match Date Venue

1st T20I – India vs Afghanistan	13 September 2026 (Sunday)	Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
2nd T20I – India vs Afghanistan	16 September 2026 (Wednesday)	Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
3rd T20I – India vs Afghanistan	19 September 2026 (Saturday)	Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi

 

India and Afghanistan, they’ve played against each other quite a few times across ICC competitions and other bilateral encounters over the years. Curiously, India’s first major assignment right after IPL 2026 is expected to be a matchup versus Afghanistan. Even though the teams have been on the same pitch on numerous occasions, Afghanistan has never, officially hosted India. That pattern could finally get changed in September, if everything goes according to the plan .

 

For more than a decade, Afghanistan has had its home matches sort of… staged outside the country, mainly because the political mood and security situation were unstable. During all that time, India has been really central in backing Afghan cricket, with places like Greater Noida and Dehradun acting as temporary home grounds for the national team.

 

Afghanistan played Ireland in Greater Noida back in 2017, then in 2018 they moved a T20I set against Bangladesh to Dehradun. After that, many of their home fixtures drifted over to the UAE, especially Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. More recently, they tried again to host a big Test match in India but it didn’t work out. The one-off Test against New Zealand in Greater Noida, in September 2024, was called off, even before anyone bowled a ball, because the outfield was hit by rain, and the pitch conditions couldnt be used properly.

 

Now, the Arun Jaitley Stadium is likely to become Afghanistan’s brand new temporary base as they ready themselves to play host to one of the biggest sides in world cricket. Lately, India has been quietly strengthening its cricketing ties, by agreeing to bilateral series with multiple Full Member and Associate nations, which helps the smaller boards bring in useful, even if not huge, revenue.

 

This planned Afghanistan series gets even more interesting, because of the timing itself. Reports indicate that the schedule has already been circulated to India’s selection committee, and the BCCI is dealing with a peculiar kind of calendar problem later in the year.

 

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The three match T20I series versus Afghanistan is expected to wrap up on September 19 , right when an Indian squad will be getting ready for the Asian Games. Cricket at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan starts on September 23, and India enters the competition as the defending gold medalist, so yeah it’s kind of a big deal.

 

India’s packed September-October schedule:

 

Dates Tournament/Series

September 13-19	Afghanistan vs India T20I series
September 23-October 3	Asian Games 2026
September 27-October 3	West Indies tour of India: ODIs
October 6-October 17	West Indies tour of India: T20Is

 

With such a packed calendar, the BCCI might have to announce two slightly different squads. One side, a younger mix with developing players and fringe internationals, could go for the Asian Games. Meanwhile the senior squad is likely to remain in India for the home season, which begins with the Afghanistan series and then follows up not long after with the West Indies tour.

 

Afghanistan tour of India schedule:

 

Day Date Time Match Venue  (IST)

Saturday	06 June-26	9:30 AM	Test	New Chandigarh
Sunday	14 June-26	1:30 PM	1st ODI	Dharamshala
Wednesday	17 June-26	1:30 PM	2nd ODI	Lucknow
Saturday	20 June-26	1:30 PM	3rd ODI	Chennai