New Delhi to host Afghanistan vs India T20I series ahead of Asian Games
Afghanistan to host India in New Delhi
Afghanistan is set to host India for a three-match T20I series in New Delhi in September. This series will take place before the Japan Asian Games, with the men’s cricket event scheduled to begin on September 24. The matches are reportedly organized to provide preparation for both teams.
The Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi is expected to host these matches on September 13, 15, and 17. While Afghanistan has previously hosted teams in India at venues in Dehradun, Greater Noida, and Lucknow, this will mark the first occasion they host India in India. Afghanistan typically plays its home matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to a lack of cricket infrastructure in their home country.
This upcoming series will be the first time Afghanistan officially hosts India, granting them benefits such as official home series status, broadcasting rights, and commercial revenue. It also provides them with a greater role in scheduling and organizing the series.
India’s recent cricket engagements and Asian Games squad
India recently hosted Afghanistan for a one-off Test and a three-match ODI series in June, following the conclusion of the 2026 Indian Premier League season on May 31. Afghanistan did not win any of those matches. The Test and ODI series were played in hot conditions, which drew some criticism.
After the series against Afghanistan, India, under captain Shreyas Iyer, traveled to Ireland, where they lost two T20Is in Stormont, Belfast. They then faced further defeats in England, losing a five-game T20I series 4-0. In the subsequent ODI series, led by Shubman Gill, India lost the three-game contest 2-1, despite leading 1-0 at one point.
India has announced a strong squad for the Asian Games men’s event, which will run from September 24 to October 1. The three matches against Afghanistan are expected to provide valuable practice for the team ahead of this important event. Before these matches, India will be in Sri Lanka for a two-Test series, with the second Test in Colombo concluding on August 27.
The India men’s T20I squad for the Asian Games includes Shreyas Iyer as captain and Sanju Samson as wicketkeeper. Other notable players in the squad are Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Historical context and team performance
Cricket was first introduced to the Asian Games in 2010 in Guangzhou and was also featured in Incheon four years later. It was then removed before making a return in 2023. The upcoming series against Afghanistan will be an opportunity for Indian cricket fans to see players like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in action in Delhi.
Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan team has not played any T20 matches since the T20 World Cup 2026 earlier this year, where they won a couple of matches in the league stages but did not qualify for the Super 8 stages. In contrast, India has lost 6 out of 8 T20I matches since winning the T20 World Cup 2026 title.
India has an undefeated record against Afghanistan in T20I matches, having won 8 games with 1 ending in a no-result. The last T20I encounter between the two teams was in the T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 stages, which India won by 48 runs under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.
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Source: hindustantimes.com
