Afghanistan vs India T20I Series in Delhi: Schedule, Dates, Venue and Why Afghanistan Are Hosts

Afghanistan will technically be the home team when they face India in a three-match T20I series in September, but the series will once again take place on Indian soil.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have confirmed that Afghanistan will host India across three T20Is at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in Delhi from September 13 to 17.

The series will begin on September 13, with the second match on September 15 and the final T20I on September 17. All three games will be played at the same venue, with each match scheduled for a 7pm start.

Why Afghanistan are hosting India in Delhi

The most notable aspect of the announcement is that Afghanistan are the designated hosts despite all three matches being played in India.

Afghanistan have used India as one of their home venues in recent years, with the country providing a familiar base for the team to stage international cricket.

The upcoming series is part of Afghanistan's Future Tours Programme and represents another example of the growing cricketing relationship between the two boards.

ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf said hosting the series in India was a significant milestone for Afghanistan cricket and that the board valued the BCCI's cooperation and support.

He also pointed to commercial, technical and cricketing opportunities that the series could provide Afghanistan.

All three matches at Arun Jaitley Stadium

There will be no travel between venues during the series.

All three T20Is will be played at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in Delhi.

The schedule is:

For the players, that means a relatively compact series with no change in conditions or location between games.

For Afghanistan, playing their home series in Delhi also gives them the advantage of familiarity with Indian conditions, while India will be operating in a setting they know equally well.

India and Afghanistan have already had a busy 2026

The September series will not be the first time the two teams meet this year.

India hosted Afghanistan for a Test and three ODIs in June 2026.

The upcoming T20I series will therefore complete a particularly busy period of bilateral cricket between the two sides, with India and Afghanistan having now faced each other across all three formats in the space of a few months.

Their relationship has developed considerably since Afghanistan played their historic first Test against India in 2018.

The two sides also played a three-match T20I series in January 2024, while their most recent T20I meeting came at the 2024 T20 World Cup, when India won by 47 runs in Bridgetown.

India have dominated the T20I rivalry

India enter the series with a strong record against Afghanistan in the shortest format.

The teams have faced each other nine times in T20Is.

India have won seven of those matches outright, while another ended in India's favour after a double Super Over.

The only other match without a winner came in the Asian Games gold-medal contest in 2023, which was washed out by rain.

Afghanistan, however, have increasingly established themselves as one of the most dangerous T20 teams in international cricket, particularly because of their world-class spin attack and growing depth across the format.

That makes the September series more interesting than the head-to-head record might suggest.

A chance for Afghanistan to test themselves against India

For Afghanistan, the series provides another opportunity to measure themselves against one of the strongest teams in international cricket.

The three matches also come at a useful point in the team's preparations for future global tournaments.

Playing India regularly gives Afghanistan exposure to high-pressure situations against a side with considerable experience in bilateral and ICC cricket.

The fact that the games will be played in Delhi also means Afghanistan's players will get another chance to perform in conditions that are familiar to many of them through their involvement in Indian cricket.

What it means for India

For India, the series offers three more T20Is in a busy international calendar.

The team will also have the opportunity to assess players and combinations in the shortest format, particularly with Afghanistan providing a very different challenge from conventional pace-heavy opposition.

Afghanistan's strength in spin and their increasingly aggressive approach with the bat could make the series useful for testing India's adaptability.

The three-match format also leaves little room for error. With the matches being played on September 13, 15 and 17, both teams will have to make quick adjustments between games.

BCCI backs continued support for Afghanistan

BCCI president Mithun Manhas said the board remains committed to supporting the growth of cricket in Afghanistan and providing its players with opportunities to compete against quality opposition.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia also highlighted the regularity of India-Afghanistan engagements, pointing to India's role in hosting Afghanistan's first Test in 2018.

He said the two teams had now competed against each other across all three formats, with the September series adding another chapter to that relationship.

DDCA president Rohan Jaitley, meanwhile, welcomed both teams to the Arun Jaitley Stadium and said the three matches would give Delhi fans an opportunity to watch international cricket at the venue.

Afghanistan vs India T20I series: Full schedule

The first T20I will be played on September 13, followed by the second on September 15 and the third on September 17.

All three matches will be played at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in Delhi, with the action beginning at 7pm.

With Afghanistan officially listed as the hosts despite the series being played in India, the three-match contest will be another unusual but increasingly familiar chapter in the two nations' growing cricketing partnership.