Kolkata: Afghanistan’s three match T20I series in Delhi against India during September has created doubts for India’s Bangladesh tour which is supposed to take place during same window.
As per Cricbuzz, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has confirmed the dates and venue for its three-match T20I series against India. Afghanistan will officially host India for the first time in a bilateral series, although all three matches will be staged at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The T20Is have been scheduled for September 13, 15 and 17.
The ACB communicated the schedule to its commercial partners through a letter sent on Monday, August 10. The board said the dates had been discussed and agreed upon with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, even though a public announcement from the relevant authorities remains pending.
“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 in the letter accessed by Cricbuzz.
The formal confirmation carries wider consequences for India’s international calendar because the opening Afghanistan T20I clashes directly with the final match of the proposed Bangladesh tour.
The ACB also informed broadcasters and commercial partners that they could begin preparing for the series. “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 board stated.
The Bangladesh-India series is being discussed at the ministerial level, with Bangladesh’s new government keen to resolve the uncertainty surrounding the tour. The two teams were scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Bangladesh in August last year, but it was postponed to 2026 due to geopolitical tensions.
Bangladesh Sports Minister Aminul Haque said the government was hopeful of finding a solution soon.
“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.
“We want to resolve the matter quickly. I hope to maintain strong, friendly relations with our neighbouring country through sports. We want to smoothly navigate the current state of uncertainty.
“The Indian High Commissioner has met with the Honourable Prime Minister. Discussions were also held today with the Foreign Minister and the State Minister. They, too, are very optimistic that the uncertainty surrounding the last T20 World Cup can be resolved quickly.
“We remain hopeful that the issue regarding the Bangladesh-India series can be settled through the discussions held between the two foreign ministries.”
The Bangladesh series has been in doubt since the previous government decided against sending the team to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup, citing concerns over the safety and well-being of the players. Bangladesh were subsequently replaced by Scotland in the tournament. The new government has since sought to repair relations with India through sports diplomacy.
Newly-appointed BCB president Tamim Iqbal has remained optimistic that India’s much-anticipated white-ball tour of Bangladesh will go ahead as scheduled, insisting that the country is “extremely safe”.
