Why is Afghanistan hosting all their 'Home' matches at the same venue against India?

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have confirmed that Afghanistan will host India in a three-match T20I series at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in Delhi. The matches will be played on September 13, 15 and 17.

All three matches will be played at the same venue in India, as Afghanistan has been using India as its home venue for international matches in recent years. The series is part of Afghanistan's Future Tours Programme (FTP) and will be played in India.

For the first time in cricket history, Afghanistan will host India in a bilateral three-match T20I series, although the matches will be played in India. Throughout this article, we will find out why Afghanistan is hosting all three of its "home" matches against India at the same venue.

Arun Jaitley Stadium to host all 3 T20Is — September 13, 15 & 17, 2026

India hosted Afghanistan in their historic first Test in 2018, and the two teams have continued to play against each other regularly across formats. Their next meeting will be a three-match T20I series in September 2026.

The AFG vs IND T20I series will be played from September 13 to 17, 2026, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Afghanistan will officially host the series, but all three matches will be played in India, which has been used as Afghanistan's home venue in recent years.

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The first T20I will be played on September 13, followed by the second match on September 15 and the third on September 17. All three games will be played at the same venue as part of Afghanistan's Future Tours Programme.

The real reason: Why Afghanistan can't play "Home" matches at home

The AFG vs IND T20I series 2026 will be played from September 13 to 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Afghanistan will officially host the series, but all three matches will be played in India. This has raised questions among fans about why Afghanistan is using only one venue for the entire series.

One of the main reasons is that Afghanistan currently cannot regularly host international matches at home because of security concerns and limited cricket infrastructure. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has therefore used other countries as its home base for international fixtures. For this series, India will serve as Afghanistan's home venue.

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The BCCI has supported Afghanistan by allowing the team to host home matches in India in recent years. Venues such as Dehradun, Lucknow and Greater Noida have previously been used for Afghanistan's home fixtures. Using a single venue for all three T20Is can also help the ACB manage costs and make arrangements more easily.

From UAE to India: Afghanistan's decade-long search for a home ground

Unable to host international matches regularly in Afghanistan due to security and political challenges, the Afghanistan men's cricket team has spent more than a decade playing its home matches at foreign venues. The team initially used the UAE, including Sharjah, for many of its matches before later moving some of its home fixtures to India.

From around 2015, India became an important home base for Afghanistan. The BCCI provided facilities such as the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida and grounds in Dehradun, allowing Afghanistan to host international matches away from home. These venues have helped the team maintain a regular international schedule.

Although the matches are played in India, Afghanistan remains the home team for the series against India. The Afghanistan captain will take part in the toss as the home-team skipper, and the scorecard will list the series as AFG vs IND. The ACB will also receive the revenue from the series, including income linked to its media partners and sponsors.