Why is Afghanistan playing home series in India? Explaining how New Delhi came to host IND vs. AFG T20I series

India will play a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan starting September 13.

However, there's something unusual about seeing Afghanistan listed as the home side on a scorecard at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

The visitors are India, playing in their own capital city, against a team that is technically the host.

It looks strange at a glance, but The Sporting News breaks it down for you.

Why is Afghanistan playing a home series in India?

The security situation in Afghanistan has been the defining constraint on their international cricket for years.

While the Kabul International Cricket Stadium hosts domestic games, bringing top-tier nations to Afghanistan for international fixtures requires security clearances that most boards simply cannot satisfy.

Regional instability and persistent political uncertainty have made it impossible for visiting teams to tour the country in any conventional sense.

That reality forced the Afghanistan Cricket Board to look beyond their borders for neutral venues. Sharjah and Abu Dhabi became familiar hosting grounds for a while. But when it came to maintaining consistent, accessible bases, the ACB looked toward their most trusted ally in the region, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

This arrangement between the BCCI and the ACB isn't a recent development. It stretches back to 2015, when the Indian board first began opening its facilities to Afghanistan teams.

Since then, venues in Greater Noida, Dehradun and Lucknow have all served as Afghanistan home grounds, and they have hosted matches against Ireland, Bangladesh and the West Indies over the years.

It's a relationship built quietly over time but one that has been absolutely central to Afghanistan's ability to remain competitive at the highest level.

ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf has spoken about the value of this partnership in direct terms, calling this series against India a milestone in the relationship between the two boards.

"This series holds great significance for Afghanistan cricket and represents another important step in the development of our longstanding relationship with the BCCI," he said.

"Hosting India for a bilateral series in India is a significant milestone for us, and we highly value the cooperation and support of the BCCI in making this event possible."

Why is New Delhi hosting India vs. Afghanistan T20I series?

There's a very practical logic to choosing Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

For the ACB, the setup in Delhi keeps logistical costs manageable. The BCCI supplies the broadcast infrastructure, the staffing and the security. In return, Afghanistan collect ranking points, a share of ticket revenue and match fees; the financial building blocks that keep the programme running.

Beyond the money, there's the exposure. A series against India, broadcast across the subcontinent, puts Afghan cricket in front of an audience that no other venue arrangement could replicate.

Moreover, both India and Afghanistan are looking ahead to the Asian Games, and this series fits neatly into both squads' preparation windows. India will want to settle their T20I combinations and give players match time in the format, while Afghanistan have their own squad-building goals heading into the continental event.

India 'away' tour of Afghanistan 2026: Full schedule

Here is the schedule of the matches with the official match start times mentioned in Indian Standard Time (IST):

Where to watch India vs Afghanistan T20I series: TV channel, live stream

The series will be available live on the FanCode app across mobile, web and connected TVs.

Fans can also watch the matches through FanCode's distribution partners, including Jio TV/Jio TV+, Amazon Prime, Crex, Jagran, Playbox, Watcho, Tata Play Binge and Times Prime.