The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has confirmed the widely reported dates for the three-match T20I series against India in New Delhi.
The ACB also stated that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had agreed to the dates.
“The ACB hereby confirms that the India tour of Afghanistan 2026 (Event) is scheduled to take place from September 13 to September 17.
“I would not like to comment prematurely on any potential date adjustments that the Afghanistan Cricket Board may be considering.
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."
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has confirmed the widely reported dates for the three-match T20I series against India in New Delhi. In a letter to stakeholders on Monday (August 10), the ACB said the matches will be played on September 13, 15 and 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The ACB also stated that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had agreed to the dates.
“The ACB hereby confirms that the India tour of Afghanistan 2026 (Event) is scheduled to take place from September 13 to September 17. The ACB further confirms that the dates of the Event have been confirmed and agreed with the BCCI and the venues of the scheduled matches have also been finalised,” ACB CEO Naseeb Khan wrote to the board’s commercial partners in a letter, accessed by Cricbuzz.
The Afghan Board’s formal assertion has now virtually ruled out the possibility of the Indian team’s tour of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had earmarked September 1 to 13 for the six white-ball games, and at least one match of the Afghanistan series clashes with that window. With less than three weeks to go before the proposed BCB dates, the Bangladesh series now appears all but dead, barring the unlikely event of a last-minute directive from the governments. Cricbuzz reached out to the BCCI on this.
The ACB further stated, “While an official public announcement regarding the event is yet to be made by the concerned authorities, the ACB is issuing this letter as an official confirmation of the scheduled dates and venues of the India tour of Afghanistan 2026. Accordingly all media rights holders may proceed with their advance planning, scheduling and production arrangements, resource allocation, promotional activities and other related preparations based on the above schedule.”
Cricbuzz understands that ITW Universe, which holds the media rights, is in talks with JioStar, Sony Sports and Zee Unite8 for the linear rights of the three matches. The broadcaster is expected to be finalised in 24 hours. FanCode holds the digital rights.
Meanwhile, the ACB has opened further negotiations with the BCCI, offering to move one of the games to September 14, the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. Sources familiar with the development have revealed that the Afghanistan board has asked the BCCI if it would be possible to move the first or second match to September 14, thereby giving the series a festive touch.
“I would not like to comment prematurely on any potential date adjustments that the Afghanistan Cricket Board may be considering. Should such a development materialise, aligning this historic series with Ganesh Chaturthi — a day of new beginnings, devotion and celebration across India — would be a thoughtful and gracious gesture from the ACB, reflecting the spirit of friendship that cricket continues to foster between India and Afghanistan,” ITW co-founder Bhairav Shanth told Cricbuzz.
Shanth said there is a lot of excitement around this series. “This marks a landmark moment — Afghanistan officially hosting India in a bilateral series for the first time. ITW Universe, together with our world-class partners, will be producing the broadcast and bringing several visual and storytelling upgrades that fans have never experienced before.”
There is scope to do more together with ACB: Mithun Manas
The BCCI confirmed the series officially on Wednesday (August 12) with president Mithun Manhas reiterating that the BCCI remained steadfast in its support of Afghanistan cricket.
"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," Manhas said.
"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 secretary Devajit Saikia added: "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," Saikia added.
