Afghanistan vs India in India 2026 is a three-match T20I series running from September 13 to 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Afghanistan holds official host rights, though every game is on Indian soil.
Here’s the full schedule, squads, records and how to watch.
AFG vs IND Series Schedule: Dates, Times and Venue
All three games kick off at 7:00 PM IST under lights, and every single one is at the same ground. That keeps travel simple for both squads and for fans planning to attend.
| Match | Date | Day | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | September 13, 2026 | Sunday | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 7:00 PM |
| 2nd T20I | September 15, 2026 | Tuesday | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 7:00 PM |
| 3rd T20I | September 17, 2026 | Thursday | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 7:00 PM |
So why does an “Afghanistan vs India in India” series even exist? That question deserves its own section.
Why Afghanistan Is Hosting in Delhi, Not Kabul
Afghanistan can’t stage international cricket at home due to ongoing security and infrastructure constraints. As a result, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) regularly borrows neutral venues in India and the UAE for its “home” fixtures.
This series is part of that pattern. The BCCI and ACB jointly confirmed the fixtures, with Afghanistan designated the official host despite the Delhi venue.
Here’s the interesting bit. This is only the second-ever bilateral T20I series between these two nations. The first came in January 2024, when India hosted Afghanistan across Mohali, Indore and Bengaluru.
Arun Jaitley Stadium: Pitch and Conditions
Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, formerly known as Feroz Shah Kotla, is one of Indian cricket’s oldest and most storied grounds. It has hosted Test cricket since 1948 and holds up to 55,000 spectators.
The surface starts dry and true, rewarding batters who get in early. Spinners tend to grip more as the ball gets older, and the average T20I first-innings total here has generally sat somewhere in the 150 to 170 range, though estimates vary by source.
Since these are all night matches, dew becomes a real factor in the second innings. Chasing teams often find the ball skidding onto the bat more easily once the dew sets in, which is worth remembering before every toss in this series.
Squads for the T20I Series
Both boards named full-strength squads, and there’s a good mix of proven names and fresh faces on each side.
India’s 15-Member Squad
Shreyas Iyer continues as captain, with Tilak Varma as his deputy. The headline returns are Jasprit Bumrah and Sanju Samson, both back after being left out of recent assignments.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Shreyas Iyer (C) | Batter |
| Tilak Varma (VC) | Batter |
| Abhishek Sharma | Batter |
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | Batter |
| Sanju Samson (WK) | Wicketkeeper |
| Ishan Kishan (WK) | Wicketkeeper |
| Shivam Dube | All-rounder |
| Axar Patel | All-rounder |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy* | All-rounder |
| Washington Sundar* | All-rounder |
| Varun Chakaravarthy | Spinner |
| Ravi Bishnoi | Spinner |
| Jasprit Bumrah* | Pacer |
| Arshdeep Singh | Pacer |
| Harshit Rana* | Pacer |
The 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi keeps his spot after a breakout series against Zimbabwe, where he smashed the fastest T20I fifty by a teenager off just 18 balls and was named Player of the Series. Hardik Pandya misses out through injury, and Rinku Singh doesn’t make the cut this time either.
Afghanistan’s 15-Member Squad
Ibrahim Zadran leads Afghanistan into his first assignment as full-time T20I captain, taking over from Rashid Khan after the team’s early exit at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Ibrahim Zadran (C) | Batter |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK) | Wicketkeeper |
| Noor Rahman (WK) | Wicketkeeper |
| Sediqullah Atal | Batter |
| Darwish Rasooli | Batter |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | All-rounder |
| Gulbadin Naib | All-rounder |
| Mohammad Nabi | All-rounder |
| Rashid Khan | Spinner |
| Nangyal Kharoti | Spinner |
| Noor Ahmad | Spinner |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | Spinner |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | Pacer |
| Abdullah Ahmadzai | Pacer |
| Naveen-ul-Haq | Pacer |
Fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq returns after a shoulder stress fracture that ruled him out of the World Cup and a bilateral series against West Indies. With Rashid, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb and Nangyal Kharoti all in the mix, Afghanistan’s spin cupboard is anything but bare.
Note: If your site already has a dedicated Playing XI or Dream11 prediction article for this series, link it here instead of repeating lineup guesses in this piece.
Head-to-Head: India vs Afghanistan in T20Is
India’s record against Afghanistan in the shortest format is close to spotless. The two sides have met nine times in T20Is, with India winning eight and one game ending with no result.
That solitary no result came in the 2023 Asian Games gold-medal match in Hangzhou, washed out by persistent drizzle. India was awarded gold as the higher-seeded side.
The most dramatic meeting so far came in Bengaluru during the January 2024 series. Both teams finished tied on 212, and India needed a second Super Over to complete a 3-0 sweep. Afghanistan has never beaten India in this format, but they’ve made India work for every win.
Beyond T20Is, the sides met earlier in 2026 too. India won the one-off Test by an innings and 300 runs in June, then completed a 3-0 ODI sweep across Dharamsala, Lucknow and Chennai.
Key Players to Watch
Every series has its match-winners, and this one has plenty on both sides.
India
- Jasprit Bumrah returns to T20I cricket for the first time since the World Cup final against New Zealand. His yorkers alone are worth the ticket price.
- Sanju Samson is back in the mix after missing the Zimbabwe tour, and he’ll want to make his comeback count.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi brings genuine box-office hitting at just 15 years old, fresh off a Player of the Series showing.
Afghanistan
- Rashid Khan remains Afghanistan’s biggest match-winner with the ball, even after handing over the captaincy.
- Ibrahim Zadran opens the batting and now captains the side too, so all eyes will be on how he balances both jobs.
- Mohammad Nabi brings decades of composure and floats up or down the order depending on the situation. Not bad for a man who’s seen it all.
Why This Series Matters
Timing is everything here. Both teams walk into this series just ahead of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, running September 19 to October 4. India’s 15-man squad for this series is identical to its Asian Games group, so think of these three games as a live audition.
Shreyas Iyer especially needs this. India lost 2-0 to Ireland and then 4-0 to England before steadying with a 3-0 win over Zimbabwe, so a strong showing here would go a long way toward quieting the doubters.
On the other side, Ibrahim Zadran gets his first taste of full-time leadership against the world’s top-ranked, reigning T20 World Cup-winning side. It’s a tough opening assignment, but Afghanistan has closed the gap on bigger teams before, and they’ll fancy testing India’s depth.
How to Watch: TV and Live Streaming
In India, Sony Sports Network holds the television broadcast rights for all three matches. FanCode is the exclusive digital streaming partner, covering mobile, web and connected TVs.
FanCode is also routing its feed through partner platforms including Amazon Prime and Jio TV, so existing subscribers on those apps should get access too.
For viewers outside India, Afghanistan’s global media rights are handled through TransGroup, the ACB’s international syndication partner. Local broadcast tie-ups outside India hadn’t been confirmed at the time of writing, so it’s worth checking your regional sports network closer to game day.
Ticket Prices and Booking
Fans heading to the Arun Jaitley Stadium in person can book through thumpN, the official ticketing partner for the series. Prices span a wide range, from budget stands to VIP boxes.
| Category | Price (INR) |
|---|---|
| General stands | ₹749 |
| Premium and mid-range | ₹1,250 – ₹4,000 |
| VIP and corporate | ₹6,500 – ₹12,500 |
Booking is simple. Download or open the thumpN app or website, log in with your mobile number and email, search for the series, pick your seats and pay. Given the demand India-Afghanistan clashes usually draw in Delhi, earlier booking is the safer bet.
Bottom Line: Afghanistan vs India T20I Series Starts From 13th September 2026
This series packs plenty into three games. It’s Afghanistan’s first crack at India with actual host rights, Zadran’s first test as captain, and a final tune-up before the Asian Games for both squads.
With India’s near-perfect T20I record against Afghanistan on the line and Delhi’s dew factor set to matter under lights, expect a competitive, high-stakes build-up to Japan.
