Explained: Why are Afghanistan hosting their 'home' cricket matches in India?
Arshdeep Singh and Rashid Khan (Source: BCCI)
Published - 08 Sep 2026, 12:31 PM• Read time - 8 mins
The upcoming three‑match T20I series between India and Afghanistan is historic for several reasons, but none more significant than the fact that it marks the first time a visiting team will host India on Indian soil. The Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi will stage the entire series, with matches scheduled for September 13, 15 and 17.
This is the second bilateral series between the two sides in the ongoing calendar year. Earlier, Afghanistan toured India as the visiting team for a multi‑format series that began with a one‑off Test at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. India then completed a 3‑0 whitewash in the ODI series, with Shubman Gill and his men delivering a commanding performance.
Why are Afghanistan hosting India in India?
Afghanistan are still in the process of developing a top‑tier cricketing ecosystem in their country. As a result, they have been hosting their home fixtures in India, across venues such as Lucknow, Dehradun, Delhi and Greater Noida.
Additionally, the security situation in Afghanistan remains a concern, preventing the Afghan Atalan from hosting international teams on home soil.
The upcoming three‑match T20I series against India is a landmark moment for Afghanistan cricket and has been made possible through close cooperation between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).
“The BCCI remains committed to supporting the growth of cricket in Afghanistan and providing its players with opportunities to compete at the highest level. Bilateral cricket is an important part of this, as it allows teams to play regularly against quality opposition and gain valuable experience. We welcome the Afghanistan Cricket Board to India for this series and look forward to working closely with them to make it a successful one. We believe there is scope to do more together and will continue to support Afghanistan cricket while strengthening the relationship between the two cricketing nations,” BCCI president Mithun Manhas said at the time of the announcement.
List of ODI series hosted by Afghanistan in India
| Series | Scoreline | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan v Ireland ODI Series | Afghanistan won 3–2 | 2016/17 |
| Afghanistan v Ireland ODI Series | Drawn 2–2 (1 NR) | 2018/19 |
| Afghanistan v West Indies ODI Series | West Indies won 3–0 | 2019/20 |
List of T20I series hosted by Afghanistan in India
| Series | Scoreline | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan vs Ireland T20I Series (in India) | Afghanistan won 3–0 | 2016/17 |
| Afghanistan vs Bangladesh T20I Series (in India) | Afghanistan won 3–0 | 2018 |
| Afghanistan vs Ireland T20I Series (in India) | Afghanistan won 3–0 | 2018/19 |
| Afghanistan vs West Indies T20I Series (in India) | Afghanistan won 2–1 | 2019/20 |
| Afghanistan vs Ireland T20I Series (in India) | Afghanistan won 2–1 | 2019/20 |