Delhi to host Afghanistan’s ‘home’ T20I series against India in September

Mumbai, Aug 12 (IANS) Delhi is set to become the stage for another chapter in the growing India-Afghanistan cricket relationship, with the two boards confirming a three-match T20I series at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in September.

Afghanistan will be the host, despite all three matches being played in India. The arrangement continues Afghanistan’s recent practice of staging home fixtures outside the country, with India serving as one of its principal venues.

The opening T20I will be played on September 13, followed by matches on September 15 and 17. All three encounters will be held at the same venue.

For Afghanistan, the series represents another opportunity to test itself against one of the leading sides in world cricket while further strengthening its association with the BCCI. The fixtures form part of Afghanistan’s Future Tours Program.

“The BCCI remains committed to supporting the growth of cricket in Afghanistan and providing its players with opportunities to compete at the highest level. Bilateral cricket is an important part of this, as it allows teams to play regularly against quality opposition and gain valuable experience. We welcome the Afghanistan Cricket Board to India for this series and look forward to working closely with them to make it a successful one. We believe there is scope to do more together and will continue to support Afghanistan cricket while strengthening the relationship between the two cricketing nations,” BCCI President Mithun Manhas.

The series will also complete a three-format cycle between the teams in 2026. India and Afghanistan met in a Test and ODI series in June, following their previous three-match T20I contest in January 2024.

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said, “The India-Afghanistan cricketing rivalry has produced some thrilling encounters over the years, with both teams boasting quality cricketers. Afghanistan’s players are also quite popular among fans in India, which is a reflection of the strong bond that has developed between the two cricketing nations. India hosting Afghanistan for their historic first Test in 2018 was another significant milestone in this journey, and since then, we have continued to see regular bilateral engagements between the two teams.

“We recently hosted Afghanistan for a Test and ODI series in June, and this T20I series will mean the two teams have now competed against each other across all three formats. We look forward to welcoming the Afghanistan team to Delhi and are confident that this will be an exciting and memorable series.”

For Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman Mirwais Ashraf, the series carries significance beyond the cricket itself.

“This series holds great significance for Afghanistan cricket and represents another important step in the development of our longstanding relationship with the BCCI. Hosting India for a bilateral series in India is a significant milestone for us, and we highly value the cooperation and support of the BCCI in making this event possible.

“We have hosted our home fixtures in both India and the UAE in recent years, and given the importance and scale of this series, we believe India provides an excellent setting for the event. We are confident that the series will create valuable opportunities across commercial, technical, and cricketing areas, while adding a new dimension to our bilateral engagement. We look forward to a successful series and to further strengthening our partnership with the BCCI,” Ashraf said.

DDCA President Rohan Jaitley also welcomed the decision to bring the series to the capital, saying, “We are delighted to welcome both teams to the Arun Jaitley Stadium for what promises to be an exciting T20I series. We look forward to hosting the teams and providing them with the best possible facilities and a memorable experience. I am confident that the three matches will give fans in Delhi an opportunity to enjoy some exciting cricket and further add to the rich history of international cricket at this iconic venue.”

The three-match series will begin on September 13, with Delhi hosting all three Afghanistan home fixtures.

1st T20I- September 13

2nd T20I- September 15

3rd T20I- September 17

–IANS

vi/bc