The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) have confirmed a three-match T20 International series between India and Afghanistan in September.
The matches will be played at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, with the series scheduled between September 13 and September 17.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
India and Afghanistan will play three T20 Internationals in September. The matches will be held at Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, Delhi.
The series is scheduled from September 13 to 17. Afghanistan is the official host, with the matches being played in India.
The series is part of Afghanistan's Future Tours Programme. India last hosted Afghanistan for an international series in June 2026.
The two sides have previously played across Test, ODI and T20I formats.
Although Afghanistan is officially the host for the series, the matches will be played in India. The arrangement follows a pattern seen in recent years, with Afghanistan hosting some of its home fixtures outside the country.
The series forms part of Afghanistan's Future Tours Programme, giving the two sides another bilateral engagement ahead of the next phase of the international cricket calendar.
BCCI President Mithun Manhas said the Indian board remains committed to supporting the development of cricket in Afghanistan and providing its players opportunities to compete at the highest level.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The September series is significant because it gives Afghanistan another opportunity to compete against India in the T20 format while continuing the broader cricketing partnership between the two countries. For Afghanistan, regular matches against a leading cricketing nation provide valuable international exposure and help maintain its competitive calendar. For India, the series adds another home assignment to its T20 schedule and provides an opportunity to assess players and combinations in the shortest format. The series also underlines how Afghanistan's cricket journey has progressed since its first Test against India in 2018. What was once a developing cricketing relationship has evolved into regular bilateral competition across Test, ODI and T20I cricket.
BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia said the board was pleased to support the Afghanistan Cricket Board in hosting the series in India.
The upcoming T20I series also continues a growing cricketing relationship between the two countries. Afghanistan most recently toured India for a three-match ODI series in June 2026. Before that, India and Afghanistan played a three-match T20I series in January 2024.
The two teams also share a significant Test cricket connection. India hosted Afghanistan for Afghanistan's first-ever Test match in 2018, marking an important moment in the country's development as a full member of the international cricket community.Since then, the teams have continued to meet across different formats.
Why This Series Is Different
This is more than another bilateral T20 series. For Afghanistan, playing international cricket against India provides its players with exposure to one of the world's strongest cricketing environments. For India, the series offers another opportunity to test its T20 combination against an Afghanistan side that has developed considerable experience in the shortest format.
The fact that the series will be played in Delhi also gives the contest a distinctive setting, with all three matches scheduled at the same venue.
India-Afghanistan Cricketing Relationship
The cricketing relationship between India and Afghanistan has developed considerably over the past decade. India played a supporting role in Afghanistan's early international development, while Afghanistan has gradually established itself as a competitive international side.
The 2018 India-Afghanistan Test was particularly significant. It represented Afghanistan's entry into Test cricket and demonstrated how quickly the country's cricket structure had developed.
Regular meetings in white-ball cricket have since helped strengthen the sporting relationship.
Recent Bilateral Meetings
The two teams have continued to play each other regularly.
- 2018: India hosted Afghanistan's historic first Test.
- January 2024: India and Afghanistan played a three-match T20I series.
- June 2026: Afghanistan toured India for a three-match ODI series.
- September 2026: The teams are scheduled to meet again in a three-match T20I series in Delhi.
