Sri Lanka Cancel Afghanistan Series After ACB's Squad Announcement

Dasun Shanaka Babar Azam Rashid Khan. Image Credits: X

The upcoming white-ball cricket series between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan has been postponed due to the current situation in the Middle East. The series was scheduled to be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from March 13 to March 25. The series was expected to include three T20Is followed by three ODIs.

The first T20I was scheduled for March 13, followed by the second on March 15, and the last on March 17. The ODI series was supposed to be played on March 20 (1st ODI), March 22 (2nd ODI), and the final ODI on March 25 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

SLC decides to postpone Afghanistan series in UAE

According to Sri Lankan journalist Roshan Abeysinghe, the matches that were planned to take place in Sharjah and Dubai have been delayed as a precautionary measure. Officials decided to postpone the series after carefully considering the security situation in the region.

Roshan Abeysinghe

@RoshanCricket

Sri Lanka Cricket has decided to postpone the upcoming T20 and ODI series against Afghanistan in Sharjah and Dubai due to the current situation - Sources -

Earlier, the Afghanistan Cricket Board had said it was closely monitoring the situation in West Asia and was in regular discussions with stakeholders regarding the future of the series. The board confirmed that the safety of players, officials, and support staff remained the top priority.

It is important to mention that Afghanistan has already named the squad for the series. However, Sri Lanka has not yet named the squad for the same series.

Afghanistan’s Squad For Sri Lanka Series

Afghanistan’s T20I Squad For Sri Lanka Series

Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Noor Rahman (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik and Abdullah Ahmadzai.

Reserves: Nangyal Kharoti, Bilal Sami and Ijaz Ahmadzai.

Also Read- “Varun Chakaravarthy Is 1 Game Away”- India Playing XI Status Revealed For T20 Final

Afghanistan’s ODI Squad For Sri Lanka Series

Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik and Bilal Sami.

Reserves: Qais Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi and Bashir Ahmad.

Afghanistan and Sri Lanka's performance in the T20 World Cup 2026

The upcoming series between the Afghanistan and Sri Lanka would have been the first assignment for both sides after their disappointing campaigns in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

Afghanistan entered the tournament with high expectations following their historic semi-final appearance in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024. 

However, the team could not replicate that success this time. They were placed in Group D and finished third in the standings, which meant they failed to qualify for the Super 8 stage. 

Co-hosts Sri Lanka also endured a frustrating tournament. Playing at home, expectations were high for the island nation to make a deep run in the competition. 

Sri Lanka started well in the group stage and managed to qualify for the Super 8 round. However, their momentum did not continue in the next phase of the tournament.

Also Read: India Predicted Playing XI vs New Zealand- Final, T20 World Cup 2026: Kuldeep Yadav In For Varun Chakaravarthy?