India vs Afghanistan: Head to Head Record, September 2026 T20I Series Schedule and Full History
India vs Afghanistan Fixtures are confirmed against BCCI announcements. Aggregate head-to-head totals are marked for verification rather than estimated.
Afghanistan play three Twenty20 Internationals in India from 13 to 17 September 2026, all at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. It is India’s next assignment and the first international cricket the side plays after winning a Test series in Sri Lanka in August.
Staging an entire series at a single venue across five days is unusual for India. It also makes this the easiest series of the season to attend if you can get to Delhi.
For India’s complete fixture list this season, see the India cricket team schedule 2026-27.
Afghanistan tour of India 2026: schedule
| Fixture | Date | Day | Venue | City | Start (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | 13 September 2026 | Sunday | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 7:00 pm |
| 2nd T20I | 15 September 2026 | Tuesday | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 7:00 pm |
| 3rd T20I | 17 September 2026 | Thursday | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 7:00 pm |
All three matches are at the same ground. All three are evening fixtures.
Why one venue for all three matches
India normally rotates fixtures across state associations, and the 2026-27 home season is explicitly built around 17 cities. Compressing a three-match series into five days at a single ground is a logistics decision rather than a cricketing one.
For spectators it is a rare convenience. One city, one ground, three matches, one set of travel arrangements. Most Indian series require moving between states to see more than one fixture.
The Arun Jaitley Stadium
Formerly the Feroz Shah Kotla, the Arun Jaitley Stadium is one of India’s oldest international venues. September in Delhi is warm and humid at the tail of the monsoon, and evening starts under lights are standard.
The ground has historically offered assistance to spin as matches progress, which is relevant to this fixture specifically.
India vs Afghanistan head to head record
Verification required before publishing. Fill from ESPNcricinfo head-to-head records with the date attached. The sample is small, which makes an accurate figure easy to source and an inaccurate one easy for readers to catch.
| Format | Matches played | India won | Afghanistan won | Tied or no result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | ||||
| ODI | ||||
| T20I |
Why the sample is small
Afghanistan received full ICC membership and Test status in 2017, which is recent by the standards of every other side India plays. Bilateral series between the two nations have been infrequent, and most of their meetings have come in Asia Cup editions and World Cups rather than in scheduled tours.
A three-match bilateral Twenty20 series in India is therefore a more significant fixture in Afghanistan’s calendar than the match count suggests.
What makes Afghanistan competitive in this format
The gap between Afghanistan and India is wide across a five-day match and narrow across twenty overs. That is not a courtesy assessment. It follows from where Afghanistan’s strength is concentrated.
Spin
Afghanistan’s spin resources are the best asset any associate-era side has produced. Rashid Khan has been among the most effective Twenty20 bowlers in the world for the better part of a decade. Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad have both had success against high-quality batting line-ups.
In a format where a single bowler can deliver a quarter of an innings, that concentration matters more than overall squad depth. A Delhi pitch in September does not disadvantage them.
Franchise experience
Afghanistan’s leading players have extensive experience of Indian conditions through franchise cricket. Familiarity with the venues, the ball and the crowd removes a variable that usually disadvantages visiting sides.
Where the gap remains
Batting depth. Afghanistan’s totals depend on a small number of players, and if two of them fail the innings tends to fold. India’s batting resources are the deepest in world cricket in this format.
Across a three-match series that difference usually tells. Across a single match it frequently does not.
India’s position going into the series
Coming off a Test series win
India won the two-Test series in Sri Lanka 1-0 in August 2026, winning at Galle by 165 runs and drawing in Colombo. That was a red-ball squad, and the Twenty20 side against Afghanistan will look substantially different.
The T20 World Cup champions
India won the T20 World Cup in March 2026, beating New Zealand in the final at Ahmedabad. It was India’s third title in the tournament after 2007 and 2024, a record. As of May 2026 India were ranked first in the ICC men’s Twenty20 International team rankings with 275 rating points.
India have played 277 Twenty20 Internationals in total, winning 187, losing 75, with 7 tied and 8 ending without a result.
Leadership
Suryakumar Yadav captained India in Twenty20 Internationals in the January 2026 home series against New Zealand. Gautam Gambhir is head coach and Ajit Agarkar is chief selector. The squad for this series is announced by the BCCI selection committee ahead of the fixtures.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have both retired from Twenty20 Internationals and from Test cricket. They continue to play one-day internationals, so neither features in this series.
Where this series sits in India’s calendar
This is a compressed and awkward part of India’s schedule, and it is worth understanding the shape.
| Date | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 13 to 17 September 2026 | Afghanistan, three T20Is, Delhi |
| 19 September to 4 October 2026 | Asian Games, Japan, separate squad |
| 27 September to 17 October 2026 | West Indies at home, three ODIs and five T20Is |
| 22 October to 1 December 2026 | New Zealand away, twelve matches |
The Asian Games overlap the West Indies series, so India field a separate squad in Japan with a men’s quarter-final scheduled for 28 September at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.
The Afghanistan series is the only assignment in this stretch that is not overlapping with something else, which means it is likely to feature a close to first-choice Twenty20 side before rotation begins in earnest.
Detail on the series that follow is in the India vs West Indies head to head guide and the India vs New Zealand head to head guide.
Start times for India vs Afghanistan 2026
All three matches start at 7:00pm Indian Standard Time.
| Region | Local start time |
|---|---|
| India (IST) | 7:00 pm |
| Afghanistan (AFT, UTC plus 4:30) | 6:00 pm |
| Pakistan (PKT) | 6:30 pm |
| UAE (GST) | 5:30 pm |
| Saudi Arabia (AST) | 4:30 pm |
| South Africa (SAST) | 3:30 pm |
| United Kingdom (BST, September) | 2:30 pm |
| US Eastern (EDT, September) | 9:30 am |
| US Pacific (PDT, September) | 6:30 am |
| Australia Eastern (AEST, September) | 11:30 pm |
For viewers in the Gulf
A 4:30pm start in Riyadh and 5:30pm in Dubai makes this the most convenient India series of the early season for Gulf audiences. All three matches finish well before midnight local time.
For viewers in North America
9:30am Eastern is the friendliest slot Indian cricket offers. These are the rare India fixtures watchable live before a working day on the East Coast.
Full timing tables for the rest of the season are on the India cricket team schedule page.
Tickets
A three-match series at one venue concentrates demand. Delhi is a large market and the Arun Jaitley Stadium is not among India’s highest-capacity grounds.
Buy through the official portal announced by the Delhi and District Cricket Association rather than a resale platform, because resold tickets are regularly refused at Indian venues. Photo identification matching the booking name is required. Prohibited-items lists commonly exclude professional cameras, outside food and drink, and large bags.
Where to watch
In India, the series falls under the BCCI’s domestic broadcast contract, currently held by the Star Sports network for television with the associated streaming platform for digital. Hindi commentary is standard and regional-language feeds are typically available.
In Afghanistan and across the Gulf, regional broadcasters carry the host feed. UK and North American rights have moved between holders in recent cycles.
What to watch in the series
India’s Twenty20 batting order after the World Cup
India won the T20 World Cup in March 2026. The next edition is not imminent, which frees this series and the West Indies series that follows to function as a proving ground. Watch which order India settle on when the format has no immediate tournament attached.
Rashid Khan against India’s middle order
The most direct contest in the series. Afghanistan’s chances rest heavily on how many overs Rashid Khan can bowl into India’s middle order without being taken down.
India’s spin selection in home conditions
Three matches at a Delhi ground that assists spin as the surface wears gives India an extended look at their slow bowling options before a long season.
Whether Afghanistan can take a match
Afghanistan have beaten major sides in this format before. A three-match series gives them three chances, and the shortest format is where the gap between the sides is narrowest.
Frequently asked questions
When is India vs Afghanistan 2026?
Three Twenty20 Internationals on 13, 15 and 17 September 2026, all at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, starting at 7:00pm Indian Standard Time.
Where is India vs Afghanistan being played?
All three matches are at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Staging an entire series at one venue is unusual for India.
How many matches do India and Afghanistan play in 2026?
Three Twenty20 Internationals. There is no one-day or Test cricket in this series.
Is this India’s next match?
Yes. The first Twenty20 International on 13 September 2026 is India’s next senior men’s fixture, following the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in August.
Are Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli playing against Afghanistan?
No. Both have retired from Twenty20 Internationals. They continue to play one-day internationals and are expected to feature later in the season.
Who captains India against Afghanistan?
Suryakumar Yadav captained India in Twenty20 Internationals in the January 2026 home series. The squad and captain for this series are announced by the BCCI selection committee ahead of the fixtures.
What time is India vs Afghanistan in the UAE and Saudi Arabia?
5:30pm in the UAE and 4:30pm in Saudi Arabia, based on the 7:00pm Indian start.
Is this part of the 2026-27 home season?
The BCCI’s 22-match home season covers the West Indies, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Australia tours, beginning on 27 September. The Afghanistan series sits immediately before it.
Can Afghanistan beat India?
In this format, plausibly. Afghanistan’s spin resources are among the best in world Twenty20 cricket and their players have extensive experience of Indian conditions. Their batting depth is the constraint, and across three matches India’s resources usually tell.
What comes after the Afghanistan series?
The Asian Games in Japan from 19 September with a separate squad, and the West Indies home series beginning 27 September.
Where other pages get this series wrong
Placing it in the wrong window
Several published calendars still show India touring Bangladesh in early September 2026 for three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals. That tour is not on the current schedule. The window it once occupied is now filled by this Afghanistan series and by the start of the home season on 27 September.
Pages carrying the Bangladesh listing copied it from an older calendar and have not rechecked.
Listing the wrong venues
All three Twenty20 Internationals are at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Because staging a whole series at one ground is unusual for India, some listings assume a rotation and distribute the matches across three cities.
Including retired players
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retired from Twenty20 International cricket. Previews naming either in this squad are working from outdated information.
How to follow the series live
Broadcast in India runs through the BCCI’s domestic contract, with Hindi commentary on dedicated channels and regional-language feeds typically available.
For squad announcements, the BCCI selection committee is the primary source. Squad speculation circulates well ahead of confirmation and is frequently wrong.
India’s Twenty20 International record
India have played 277 Twenty20 Internationals, winning 187, losing 75, with 7 tied and 8 ending without a result. As of May 2026 India were ranked first in the ICC men’s Twenty20 International team rankings with 275 rating points.
India have appeared in four T20 World Cup finals and won the title three times, in 2007, 2024 and 2026, which is a record. The most recent came at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in March 2026 against New Zealand.
Against Australia specifically, India have won 22 of 37 Twenty20 Internationals, their highest win total against any opponent in the format. Full detail is in the India vs Australia head to head guide.
Afghanistan’s rise in context
Afghanistan received full ICC membership and Test status in 2017. That is recent enough that the entire bilateral history between these two sides fits inside a decade, which is unusual for a fixture between two full members.
Their route into international cricket ran largely through Twenty20, and that shows in where their strength sits. A side built around three world-class spinners is optimally configured for a format in which those three can bowl twelve of forty overs.
In Test and one-day cricket, where depth and endurance matter more than concentration of talent, the gap to India is much larger. In Twenty20 it narrows to the point where a single good day can decide a match.
What a competitive series would look like
Afghanistan taking one of the three matches would be a reasonable outcome on current form and would not be an upset in the sense of being unlikely. Taking the series would be.
The mechanism for an Afghanistan win is straightforward and worth watching for: Rashid Khan and one other spinner going for under seven an over across their eight combined overs, and two of Afghanistan’s top four making a substantial score. If both happen in the same match, the game is close.
The mechanism for a comfortable India win is equally clear: taking the spin down in the middle overs rather than trying to survive it.
The rest of India’s September
| Date | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13, 15, 17 September | Afghanistan, three T20Is | Delhi |
| 19 September to 4 October | Asian Games, T20 format | Aichi and Nagoya, Japan |
| 27 September | West Indies, 1st ODI | Thiruvananthapuram |
| 28 September | Asian Games quarter-final | Nisshin, Japan |
India send a separate squad to Japan, so the two assignments run in parallel with different groups of players. Detail on the home season opener is in the India vs West Indies head to head guide.
Glossary
T20I: Twenty20 International, twenty overs per side.
AFT: Afghanistan Time, UTC plus 4 hours 30 minutes, one hour behind Indian Standard Time.
Full member: an ICC member nation with permanent Test status. Afghanistan and Ireland were the most recent additions, both in 2017.
Arun Jaitley Stadium: the Delhi ground formerly known as the Feroz Shah Kotla, home of the Delhi and District Cricket Association.
Conditions in Delhi in September
September in Delhi sits at the end of the monsoon. Humidity is high, evenings are warm, and rain interruptions are possible without being likely.
The 7:00pm start means all three matches are played under lights, and dew is a genuine factor in the second innings. In dew-affected conditions the side batting second has a clear advantage, because a wet ball is materially harder to grip for spinners. Given that Afghanistan’s strength is concentrated in spin, losing the toss and bowling second would remove a large part of their advantage.
That single variable may shape the series more than any selection decision. Watch the toss.
The Arun Jaitley Stadium surface has historically assisted spin as a match wears, which in a twenty-over game means the middle overs rather than the death.
More frequently asked questions
How many times have India and Afghanistan played each other?
Fewer than any other full member India faces regularly, because Afghanistan only received Test status in 2017. Check a dated source for the exact figure across formats.
Is there a Test or ODI series against Afghanistan in 2026?
No. The September 2026 tour is three Twenty20 Internationals only.
Why is the series only five days long?
Three matches at a single venue with one rest day between each. It is a compressed schedule designed to fit before the Asian Games and the start of the home season.
Does the toss matter in this series?
More than usual. All three matches are evening fixtures in humid conditions where dew is likely, which favours the side batting second and reduces the effectiveness of spin in the second innings.
What is India’s record in Twenty20 Internationals overall?
277 matches played, 187 won, 75 lost, 7 tied and 8 with no result. India were ranked first in the world in the format as of May 2026.
Related pages
- India cricket team schedule 2026-27: every fixture across every opponent
- India vs West Indies head to head: the home series that opens the 2026-27 season
- India vs Australia head to head: the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January and February 2027
About this page
Fixture data comes from BCCI announcements. The aggregate head-to-head table is left as a verification block rather than filled with an estimate. The India and Afghanistan sample is small enough that an accurate figure is easy to source and an inaccurate one is easy for readers to catch, which is exactly the situation in which guessing costs the most.
