New Delhi to host Afghanistan’s home T20I series against India ahead of Asian Games
Afghanistan is set to host India for a three-match T20I series in New Delhi in September. This series is reportedly being organised as preparation for both teams ahead of the Asian Games, with the men’s cricket event scheduled to commence on September 24.
The matches are expected to take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on September 13, September 15, and September 17. While Afghanistan has previously hosted other teams in India in locations such as Dehradun, Greater Noida, and Lucknow, this marks the first instance where they will host India on Indian soil. The Central Asian team frequently plays its home matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to a lack of necessary cricket infrastructure in their home country.
Series Details and Benefits
Despite India providing the venue for the series, Afghanistan will be considered the official host. This arrangement means that Afghanistan is expected to receive all revenue generated from broadcasting rights and any sponsorship or commercial deals associated with the series. This financial benefit, alongside the cricketing experience, is a key aspect of the series for the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
The India national cricket team will have a break of approximately two weeks before the speculated series against Afghanistan. Prior to this, India will be in Sri Lanka for a two-Test series in August. Following the three T20I matches against Afghanistan, the Indian squad will proceed to the Asian Games.
Afghanistan has not participated in any T20I assignments since their exit from the T20 World Cup earlier this year. The upcoming series will provide them with an opportunity to compete in the format.
India’s Recent Form and Asian Games Preparations
India recently announced a strong squad for the Asian Games men’s event, which is scheduled to run from September 24 to October 1. The three matches against Afghanistan are anticipated to offer valuable practice for the Indian team ahead of this important multi-sport event. Cricket was first introduced to the Asian Games in 2010 in Guangzhou and was also featured in Incheon four years later, before being reintroduced in 2023.
The Indian team has had a mixed run in recent international fixtures. In June, Afghanistan toured India for one Test and three ODIs, losing all matches. The 2026 Indian Premier League season concluded on May 31, and shortly after, India hosted Afghanistan in a one-off Test at the New Chandigarh Stadium, followed by three ODIs.
Under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, India then travelled to Ireland, where they were defeated in two T20Is played at Stormont, Belfast. Further challenges arose in England, where India lost a five-game T20I series by a margin of 4-0. In the subsequent ODI series, led by Shubman Gill, India lost the three-game contest 2-1, despite holding a 1-0 lead at one point.
The India men’s T20I squad for the Asian Games includes Shreyas Iyer as captain, Sanju Samson as wicketkeeper, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan as wicketkeeper, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma as vice-captain, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and Jasprit Bumrah.
The men’s cricket event at the Asian Games is scheduled to take place between September 24 and October 1.
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Source: hindustantimes.com
