Two months after first reported it, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has confirmed that they will host the Indian cricket team for a bilateral series for the first time in history.
However, all three games will take place on Indian soil at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on September 13, 15, and 17, just before both teams leave for Japan to play the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where the two sides had interestingly played the gold medal clash in the 2023 edition.
This sets up an unprecedented situation where the Indian cricket team will be playing as an away team despite playing in the national team. Meanwhile, Afghanistan will be the home team against the Men in Blue while the match is taking place in India.
What Does Afghanistan’ Status Has Home Team Change?
While it is expected that the stadium will be full of Indians despite Afghanistan being the home team as the game is taking place on Indian soil, the effects of who the home and away teams are lie on the administrative side of things. Although, it is worth noting that Delhi hosts a significant Afghan refugees, who reside around the Lajpat Nagar area (Krishna Nagar and Central), which is called ‘Mini Kabul.’
The revenue from tickets will go to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), and the BCCI will not get any share. Meanwhile, the matches will be telecast and broadcast by the media rights partner of the ACB and not by those who own the BCCI’s rights and usually show the Indian cricket team’s home games. Similarly, the governing body of the sport in Afghanistan will earn money from all sponsors of the series which includes the title sponsors
Why Are Afghanistan Playing Home Games In India?
Afghanistan does not play its home international games in Afghanistan due to security threats in its country. As a result, the ACB has adopted the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as their primary home base while also playing a few home games in India. Previously, they have hosted other teams at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida, the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, and the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun.