The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has officially announced the dates for Afghanistan’s three-match T20I series against India, which will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The series will be played on September 13, 15 and 17 after the dates were agreed upon with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The confirmation clears up the India September schedule and seems to give little space for the proposed white-ball tour of Bangladesh. Earlier, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had scheduled a six-match series against India from 1st to 13th September, but now the Afghanistan matches fall in the same window.
Afghanistan Confirms Three-Match T20I Series
The ACB has notified its commercial partners about the India-Afghanistan series, which will run from September 13 to September 17. The board also confirmed that the venues have been finalised and that the dates have been agreed with the BCCI.
All three matches will be hosted at New Delhi and will be a chance for the Indian and Afghan fans to see the two teams face each other in a bilateral T20I series.
The ACB also urged media-rights holders and other stakeholders to start preparations in accordance with the confirmed programme, such as planning of broadcast, promotional activities and resource allocation.
Bangladesh Series Now in Doubt
The Afghanistan series has important ramifications for India’s proposed tour of Bangladesh. The BCB had already scheduled September 1 to 13 for six white-ball matches but the new Afghanistan calendar has left the last game for Bangladesh to be in direct conflict with the first T20I between India and Afghanistan.
The chances of India going to Bangladesh in September now look bleak as the proposed Bangladesh series remains in limbo and the Afghanistan dates are also agreed with the BCCI.
There is still a chance of a last minute intervention by the relevant authorities but the confirmed Afghanistan schedule has made the Bangladesh series much tougher to fit in.
Broadcasters Begin Preparations
The confirmation has also helped to speed up preparations for the three-match series broadcast. ITW Universe, which has the media rights, is believed to be negotiating with a number of broadcasters over the linear television rights.
The parties reportedly in talks include JioStar, Sony Sports and Zee Unite8. The series is expected to be finalized by a broadcaster soon, and FanCode will have the digital rights.
The rights holders should start their production and promotional activities before the first T20I on September 13.
ACB Discusses Possible Date Change
The three dates have been confirmed but there is a chance that one match could be shifted by a day. The ACB has reportedly approached the BCCI for the dates of the first or second T20I to be moved to September 14, the day of Ganesh Chaturthi.
That could provide some festive flair to the historic series, but also could lead to a new matchup for the teams and broadcasters.
ITW Universe co-founder Bhairav Shanth hailed the importance of the series and stated that the organisation was getting ready to provide an improved broadcast experience for fans.
BCCI Reaffirms Support for Afghanistan Cricket
The BCCI has reiterated its support for the development of cricket in Afghanistan. BCCI president Mithun Manhas stated that bilateral cricket offers Afghanistan great opportunities to play against quality opposition and experience the highest level of cricket.
Manhas also received the Afghanistan team in India and said he was sure bilateral relations between the two cricket boards could be further enhanced in the future.
He also said that there was an opportunity for the two boards to collaborate more closely in the future as Afghanistan’s profile in the cricketing world continues to rise.
India-Afghanistan Rivalry Continues to Grow
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia also highlighted the growing rivalry between India and Afghanistan. The two sides have had a few iconic matches in the past few years, especially in limited-overs cricket, and the Afghanistan players have garnered a huge fan base among Indians.
It’s not just T20 cricket that has seen the two sides connect, though. In 2018, India hosted Afghanistan for their first-ever Test match, which was a significant step in Afghanistan’s international cricket journey.
Since then, the two sides have been meeting regularly, including a Test and ODI series in June. The upcoming T20I series will also make sure that India and Afghanistan will have now played in all three formats in bilateral matches.
Historic Series Awaits in New Delhi
The three-match T20I series is likely to generate a lot of interest as Afghanistan further solidifies their international cricket presence and India aims to progress towards its white-ball engagements.
The September 13, 15 and 17 dates have been agreed by the ACB and BCCI and the preparations for the series can now commence. There is a possibility of a date change for Ganesh Chaturthi, though the three matches will be held in New Delhi.
The series is another significant development in the burgeoning partnership between the two sides in cricket, with Afghanistan looking to continue to strengthen their relationship with the Indian team, and India looking to test the Afghanistan side in the shortest format.
