Afghanistan vs India 2026 Schedule, Squad & Coverage Details

Afghanistan hosts India for a three-match T20I series from 13 to 17 September 2026, with all three matches — unusually — played entirely in New Delhi rather than on Afghan soil. It’s only the second bilateral T20I series between the two nations, and it arrives at a key moment for India’s white-ball side under new full-time T20I captain Shreyas Iyer.

Latest Updates

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the fixtures on 12 August 2026, while the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced its full 15-player squad on 24 August. India’s squad, announced on 1 September, includes several bowlers — Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar — whose participation is subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI’s Center of Excellence ahead of the series.

Hardik Pandya has not been named, as he continues to recover from injury. At the same time, spinner Varun Chakravarthy’s involvement also carries a question mark after he picked up a hamstring injury during India’s T20I series in England in July.

For Afghanistan, the headline squad news is the return of fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq from a shoulder injury, alongside the recall of experienced all-rounder Gulbadin Naib. Uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Noor Rahman has also been included for the first time. Ibrahim Zadran leads the side as Afghanistan’s full-time T20I captain.

The series also serves as preparation for both squads ahead of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi, Japan, which begin shortly after the series concludes.

Schedule

All three matches are day-night fixtures starting at 7:00 PM IST.

Venues

Every match in this series is being played at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi. This is part of a now-familiar arrangement: because Afghanistan cannot host international cricket at home, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has staged its “home” fixtures at neutral venues in India in recent years, including previous series in Dehradun, Greater Noida and Lucknow.

Playing all three matches at a single Delhi venue removes the travel factor for both sides, and both teams will already be familiar with the pitch and dew conditions by the second and third matches.

Squads

India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi.

Note: Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar are subject to fitness clearance before the series. Hardik Pandya is not in the squad due to injury.

Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Noor Rahman (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq.

Series Information

This is a three-match Twenty20 International series, part of Afghanistan’s Future Tours Program. However, with Afghan “home” assignments, every match is being played in India rather than Afghanistan. It is the second bilateral T20I series between the two nations; the first came in January 2024, when India hosted Afghanistan across Mohali, Indore and Bengaluru and won 3-0. What makes this edition notable is the reversed hosting arrangement: this is the first time Afghanistan has been the official “home” side for a T20I series played on Indian soil against India.

The series also sits directly ahead of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi, Japan, and several players in India’s squad are expected to feature at that event as well, adding an extra layer of squad-management interest to team selection across the three matches.

Previously, India and Sri Lanka played a two-match Test series, which India won comfortably. For now, it’s a different format where they will test their new players’ skills.

Players to Watch

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (India): Fresh off being named Player of the Series against Zimbabwe in July, where he scored 151 runs including two half-centuries, the young batter has forced his way into India’s first-choice T20I top order and will be one of the most closely watched players on either side.

Rashid Khan (Afghanistan): Afghanistan’s premier spinner and one of the format’s most dangerous bowlers anywhere in the world, Rashid remains central to any Afghan plan to cause an upset against a top-tier T20I side.

Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan): His return from a shoulder injury has been described by Afghan reporting as the squad’s biggest boost, and a fully fit Naveen significantly strengthens an Afghanistan pace attack that has periodically lacked depth alongside its renowned spin options.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan): A key presence across formats for Afghanistan, Gurbaz’s form at the top of the order often dictates how competitive Afghanistan can be against stronger bowling attacks.

Shreyas Iyer (India): Under scrutiny after a difficult start to his tenure as full-time T20I captain, Iyer will want to build on the Zimbabwe series win and establish some batting form of his own with the series bat in hand.

Recent Form

India’s 2026 T20I year has been unusually turbulent for a reigning world champion side. After winning the 2026 T20 World Cup in March, India lost their first bilateral assignment under new captain Shreyas Iyer, going down 2-0 to Ireland in June — their first bilateral T20I series defeat in three years.

A tour of England followed in July, which India lost 4-0, including a 125-run defeat that stands as their heaviest-ever loss in the format. India steadied themselves with a 3-0 series win in Zimbabwe immediately afterward (23-26 July), with Suryavanshi’s twin fifties and five wickets from pace bowler Mayank Yadav the standout contributions.

Afghanistan’s most recent completed T20I assignment was a series defeat to West Indies in the UAE in January 2026, going down 2-1 despite a strong series from batter Darwish Rasooli (156 runs, named Player of the Series). Afghanistan reached the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup, a tournament in which they have historically performed strongly, and they’ll see this series as a chance to test their credentials against the reigning world champions.

Head-to-head in T20Is

India lead the overall T20I head-to-head 8-0, with one no-result (a rain-affected Asian Games gold medal match in Hangzhou, China, awarded to India as the higher-seeded side), across nine meetings. Afghanistan have never beaten India in a T20I.

Live Coverage / Viewing Information

In India, the series will be televised on the Sony Sports Network, which holds the official broadcast rights. Live streaming will be available via the FanCode app and website. No broadcast or streaming details for markets outside India had been confirmed at the time of writing; fans elsewhere should check their regional cricket broadcaster or the ICC/BCCI’s official channels closer to the series for confirmation.

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