India-Afghanistan T20Is Likely To Be Postponed

Major change incoming for India tour of Afghanistan 2026 [Source: X]

In a surprising development, the upcoming T20I series between India and Afghanistan is likely to be postponed since its schedule clashes with the India tour of Bangladesh, which is up for renewal this year.

As of now, Afghanistan are scheduled to host India in three T20Is in Delhi on September 13, 15 and 17. Due to political tensions back home, Afghanistan usually plays their home games in either India or the UAE. Hence, this series is scheduled in New Delhi.

Dark clouds surface over India-Afghanistan series

However, this series is unlikely to go forward as planned. According to Cricbuzz, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is trying to organise India's six-match white-ball tour between September 1 and 13. 

If India travels to Bangladesh, the Afghanistan series will have to be postponed by a few days or rescheduled to avoid a clash. But it isn’t as simple as it sounds.

India's Bangladesh tour was previously uncertain because of geopolitical tensions. According to the report, optimism has grown after the Government of India invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to the 18th BRICS Summit, suggesting improving diplomatic relations.

If relations continue to improve, the BCCI could receive government clearance to send the Indian team to Bangladesh. This tour was supposed to be held in 2025, but after the T20 World Cup 2026 controversy, where Bangladesh refused to travel to India alleging security concerns, it was postponed.

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How long will the Afghanistan series be delayed?

Having said that, the window to host the India-Afghanistan T20I series is much shorter than people think, even though it’s only a 3-match series.

India have a packed schedule ahead as they will participate in the Asian Games from September 24. Also, they have a home series against West Indies starting on September 27. 

Because of these commitments, there is very little room to postpone the Afghanistan series significantly. If needed, it may only be shifted by a few days. 

So overall, everything depends on the Bangladesh series. If issues between the two teams are resolved in time, the Afghanistan series will take a hit.

What happened between India and Bangladesh?

Interestingly, the standoff between India and Bangladesh began when KKR released fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for the IPL 2026 season on the BCCI's order.

Due to communal clashes in Bangladesh, Indian fans were against having a Bangladeshi player feature in the IPL. But the move triggered a retaliation as BCB refused to travel to India for the T20 World Cup 2026, citing security concerns.

They requested the ICC to move their matches to a neutral venue. However, the ICC refused to entertain Bangladesh, and after failed diplomatic talks, the Tigers had to withdraw from the tournament, and Scotland replaced them as a last-minute change.

Irked by the chaos created by the BCB, the BCCI decided to postpone India’s tour of Bangladesh citing security concerns.

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