Afghanistan vs India T20I Schedule Set for Change? Ganesh Chaturthi Date Proposed

The schedule for next month's three-match T20I series between Afghanistan and India could be reshuffled, with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) understood to have asked the BCCI to bring the matches forward by a few days.

No formal decision has been taken yet, but discussions between the two boards are understood to be ongoing.

The series was originally scheduled to be played on September 13, 15 and 17, with all three matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Under the proposed changes, the fixtures could instead be played on September 11, 13 and 14.

The proposed schedule would also see one of the matches played on September 14, which falls on Ganesh Chaturthi.

Why Afghanistan want the schedule changed

The ACB is understood to have cited feedback from stakeholders in proposing the change, with the board believing the revised dates could improve both television viewership and crowd turnout.

September 14 is a significant date on the Indian calendar because of Ganesh Chaturthi, and the possibility of hosting a T20I on the festival day is central to the proposed reshuffle.

The BCCI has received the request, although there has been no confirmation that the dates will be changed.

The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), which will host the three matches, has also said it has no information about a revised schedule at this stage.

India have a window after Sri Lanka series

India's calendar provides some room for the proposed change.

The Indian team is scheduled to complete its Test series in Sri Lanka on August 27, while the Asian Games begin on September 24. A proposed series against Bangladesh appears to have been ruled out, leaving a window for the Afghanistan T20Is.

The three-match series will also complete India's bilateral engagements with Afghanistan across all three formats this year.

India hosted Afghanistan for a Test and three ODIs in June, with the upcoming T20I series completing the teams' fixtures across Test, ODI and T20I cricket.

"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," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had said while announcing the original schedule.

Afghanistan's first 'home' series against India

The T20I series carries additional significance for Afghanistan as it is being treated as a home series for the team, despite all three matches being staged in India.

The Arun Jaitley Stadium will host the entire series, making it an unusual arrangement in bilateral cricket and the first time Afghanistan will host India in a bilateral series, albeit on Indian soil.

For now, however, the September 13, 15 and 17 dates remain the announced schedule, with any change dependent on the ongoing discussions between the ACB and BCCI.