Afghanistan and India to play three T20Is in New Delhi from Sept 13-17, 2026; Bangladesh series status uncertain
The Afghanistan Cricket Board and the Board of Control for Cricket in India have announced a three-match T20 International series between Afghanistan and India at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi from September 13 to 17, 2026. The fixtures complete the scheduled T20Is between the two sides in that period and are part of Afghanistan’s designated "home" matches under their Future Tours Program.
The ACB hosting in India continues a pattern of staging Afghanistan’s international fixtures outside the country, and India earlier hosted Afghanistan for a Test and an ODI series in June this year; the upcoming T20Is will complete India’s bilateral commitments against Afghanistan across all three formats this year. The September dates for the three T20Is directly overlap with India’s proposed white-ball tour of Bangladesh, a series that has been halted amid tensions between the two boards. With those September dates now confirmed, the window contains at least three occupied fixtures for India.
BCCI President Mithun Manhas reaffirmed India’s commitment to the development of Afghan cricket and said the board remains keen on maintaining regular bilateral competition between the two countries, while BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia noted the significance of the upcoming T20Is following India’s Test and ODI assignments against Afghanistan earlier this year. Delhi & District Cricket Association President Rohan Jaitley said the Arun Jaitley Stadium will offer world-class facilities and promised fans high‑octane contests between the sides.
Bangladesh officials have continued diplomatic efforts to restore the postponed white-ball series with India, with discussions taking place at the ministerial level as Dhaka seeks to repair sporting ties. Sources told India Today that the BCCI will be able to consider any proposal from Bangladesh only after consulting the Indian government. Aminul Haque said: "It is being worked on at the ministerial level. We want to quickly resolve the deadlock that was created around the Cricket World Cup. God willing, we are hopeful that it will be resolved very soon," Haque said on Monday, as quoted by AFP.
The scheduling dispute traces back to Bangladesh’s decision not to send its team to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup, with the previous government citing concerns over the safety and well-being of its players; Bangladesh were subsequently replaced by Scotland in the tournament. A change in government has prompted renewed outreach to India, and newly appointed BCB president Tamim Iqbal has described Bangladesh as "extremely safe" and said the country is ready to host the Indian team.
The Afghanistan announcement means India’s September calendar already has three confirmed dates occupied and, if Bangladesh and India attempt to stage the postponed white-ball series in the same window, the BCCI and the Bangladesh Cricket Board will need to agree a revised schedule. For now the Afghanistan T20Is are the only confirmed India fixtures in that September window, while Bangladesh continues to press for clarity over its long‑awaited home series against its neighbour.