ACB confirms Afghanistan vs India T20I series dates
Three T20Is at Arun Jaitley Stadium on September 13, 15, and 17, with BCCI having agreed to the schedule and venues finalised.
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The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has officially confirmed that the three-match T20I series between Afghanistan and India will take place at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on September 13, 15, and 17, 2026.
ACB CEO Naseeb Khan issued a formal letter to stakeholders on Monday, August 10, 2026, setting out the schedule and noting that all venues for the three matches had been finalised.
"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 as per Cricbuzz.
The series marks the first occasion on which Afghanistan will officially host India in a bilateral T20I series, even though the neutral venue arrangement places all three matches on Indian soil at Arun Jaitley Stadium.
What did the ACB communicate to media rights holders?
The letter from Khan was addressed specifically to media rights holders, giving them advance notice to begin broadcast and production planning ahead of the series. ITW Universe holds the media rights for the series, and the ACB is currently in discussions with JioStar, Sony Sports, and Zee Unite8 for linear broadcast rights. FanCode holds the digital rights.
The ACB acknowledged in the letter that a public announcement was still pending at the time of writing, but made clear that rights holders could proceed immediately.
"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," the letter further read.
Separately, the ACB opened negotiations with the BCCI to shift one match to September 14, which falls on Ganesh Chaturthi, to give the series a festive dimension. No confirmation of that change has been issued as yet.
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How does the series affect India's potential tour of Bangladesh?
The three-match series concludes on September 17, leaving a four-day gap before the Asian Games cricket competition opens on September 23. The timing positions the series as a direct precursor to one of the most prominent multi-sport events on the Asian cricket calendar.
The ACB's formal confirmation of the September 13-17 window also has a direct bearing on a proposed India tour of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Cricket Board had earmarked a September 1-13 slot for that tour, a window that now overlaps with the confirmed Afghanistan series dates, effectively making that scheduling option unworkable for India during the same period.
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