Afghanistan-India T20I schedule change on the table

There appears to be a move to alter the dates of next month’s three-match Twenty20 International series between Afghanistan and India. No formal decision has been taken yet to reschedule the matches, but discussions are taking place between the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The ACB seeks to advance the schedule by a few days, including the possibility of having a game on September 14, the day of Ganesh Chaturthi.

The three matches were originally scheduled for September 13, 15 and 17, but it is learnt that the BCCI has received a request to move them to September 11, 13 and 14, taking into account the cultural events in India around those dates. The ACB is also believed to have cited a request from its stakeholders in making the proposal to the BCCI.

It is understood to have argued that scheduling the matches on the revised dates, including one on festival day, would have a positive impact on viewership and crowd turnout at the venue. The Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi will host all three games, in what is an unprecedented series — for the first time Afghanistan will host India in a bilateral series, albeit in India itself.

There is a perception among the ACB officials and stakeholders of the series that the BCCI may accede to the request. With the series against Bangladesh seemingly ruled out, the Indian team has a free window after the conclusion of the Test series in Sri Lanka (August 27) and beginning of the Asian Games (September 24).

Cricbuzz reached out to both the BCCI and the ACB. The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), which will host the matches, said it has no information about any revised plan.

In June, India hosted Afghanistan for a Test and a three-match ODI series. The upcoming T20I series will complete the teams’ engagements across all three formats. "We recently hosted Afghanistan for a Test and ODI series in June, and this T20I series will mean the two teams have now competed against each other across all three formats," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had said while announcing the earlier dates.