Afghanistan Seeks Schedule Change For India T20I Series on Ganesh Chaturthi

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over a possible change to the schedule of its upcoming three-match T20I series against India. The ACB has asked whether either the first or second match can be moved to September 14, which coincides with Ganesh Chaturthi. The request comes only days after the dates for the series were confirmed, with all three matches currently scheduled to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

The series is presently scheduled to begin on September 13, followed by the second T20I on September 15 and the third on September 17. Under the proposal being discussed, either the opening game or the second match would be shifted to September 14. The change would not affect the number of matches in the series, but would alter the timing of one fixture. Any modification will require approval from the BCCI before it can be officially incorporated into the schedule.

The Afghanistan series will serve as the team’s designated home fixtures under the Future Tours Programme, although all three matches will be played in India. Afghanistan has previously hosted international fixtures in India when matches could not be staged in the country. The upcoming series is therefore set to give the Afghan side home-team status while playing its designated matches at a neutral venue. For India, the fixtures form part of a busy September calendar.

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The proposed change also comes as uncertainty continues over India’s planned white-ball tour of Bangladesh. The tour remains unresolved following its postponement, with Bangladesh expressing hope that it can be revived, although any new proposal would require consultation between the BCCI and the Indian government. For now, the Afghanistan T20I series remains the confirmed international assignment for India in the middle of September, with the ACB’s request potentially placing one of the matches on Ganesh Chaturthi if the BCCI agrees to the proposed change.

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