Afghanistan to host India for T20 cricket in Delhi

Afghanistan will host India for a three-match Twenty20 international series in New Delhi next month, officials from both cricket boards announced on Wednesday. The series, set to take place at Arun Jaitley Stadium in the Afghan capital, will feature matches on September 13, 15 and 17.

For Afghanistan, this is a significant opportunity to play cricket on home soil, as the country has traditionally relied on India and the United Arab Emirates as alternative venues due to its own political and security constraints. In fact, Afghanistan played its debut Test match against India in 2018 at the latter's venue in Delhi.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been supportive of Afghanistan's growing cricketing landscape, hosting the nation for their first Test match five years ago. BCCI president Mithun Manhas expressed the organization's continued commitment to fostering Afghanistan's cricket development, stating, "The BCCI remains committed to supporting the growth of cricket in Afghanistan and providing its players with opportunities to compete at the highest level."

Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman Mirwais Ashraf welcomed the upcoming series as a key milestone for his country's cricket journey. "This series holds great significance for Afghanistan cricket and represents another important step in the development of our longstanding relationship with the BCCI," Ashraf said in a statement.