Afghanistan to host India for historic T20I series in Delhi

Afghanistan will officially host India for the first time in an international cricket series when the two nations play three T20Is at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on September 13, 16, and 19. The venue setup carries symbolic significance, as the host nation will be playing its home matches on Indian soil. This arrangement extends decades of security challenges that have forced the Afghanistan Cricket Board away from domestic grounds.

Due to security concerns at home, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has been playing its home internationals in India, specifically in Dehradun and Greater Noida, as well as in the United Arab Emirates, for several years. The BCCI and the Delhi and District Cricket Association coordinated to arrange the Arun Jaitley Stadium for this historic bilateral. The Asian Games begin on September 23, just four days after the third T20I, and cricket is part of the Games programme. This timing creates a valuable preparation window for both squads before the continental competition kicks off.

The two nations have a well-established record in the T20I format. India and Afghanistan have faced each other in 9 matches in T20, with India winning 8 matches and 1 ending without a result. The most dramatic encounter came in Bengaluru in January 2024, when both sides finished level on 212 in regulation before India won the Super Over.

India's command over Afghanistan in the shorter format remains intact. When it comes to individual performance, Virat Kohli leads the run-scorers in India vs Afghanistan T20Is with 225 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 159.57. Kohli smashed an unbeaten 122 against them at the 2022 Asia Cup, a century that stands alone as the highest individual score in this head-to-head matchup.

The series carries importance beyond bilateral pride. Both teams will use it as a testing ground ahead of the Asian Games. The itinerary has been shared with India's national selection committee since it has to pick a 15-member T20 squad for the Asian Games later in September. For Afghanistan, playing at home soil, even if symbolically on Indian ground, offers a morale boost as the team continues to climb the ladder in global T20 cricket.