A request from the Afghanistan Cricket Board to move one T20I to September 14, a date that falls on Ganesh Chaturthi, sits at the center of talks with the BCCI this week. The push began with commercial partners chasing a bigger festival crowd and stronger television numbers for a series being played entirely on Indian soil for the first time. Nothing has been finalized. Afghanistan holds the final say as host, and the Delhi board says it learned of the proposal only after the fact.
The Original Fixture Dates and Venue
Afghanistan and India are set for a three-match T20I series, with Afghanistan hosting even though every game will be played in New Delhi. The original schedule had matches on Sunday, September 13, Tuesday, September 15, and Thursday, September 17, all at Arun Jaitley Stadium with a 7 PM IST start. ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan confirmed the dates in a letter to commercial partners, and the BCCI confirmed the arrangement.
BCCI president Mithun Manhas said the board remains committed to supporting the growth of cricket in Afghanistan. The series marks the first time Afghanistan has officially hosted India in a bilateral series, despite being staged on Indian soil.
India-Afghanistan T20I series schedule change
As of August 21 to 23, no formal decision has been made. The ACB has floated September 11, 13 and 14 in place of the original September 13, 15 and 17, with September 14 drawing attention because it falls on Ganesh Chaturthi. Either the first or second match could move to that date, driven by hopes of bigger television numbers and festival attendance.
ITW Universe, the media rights holder, was among those who pushed the ACB toward the idea. Co-founder Bhairav Shanth said on August 21 that the Afghan board had made the gesture and was in discussion with the BCCI, with a decision expected by Monday and September 14 seen as a strong candidate.
A BCCI official said the call belongs to Afghanistan, since the country has no home ground and is relying on India to stage the series. DDCA officials said they had no advance knowledge of the shift. Shanth had earlier declined to comment before anything was settled, though he called aligning the series with Ganesh Chaturthi a thoughtful, gracious gesture.
How BCCI Has Moved Matches Before
This is not the first Indian fixture bent around a festival calendar. During the 2023 ODI World Cup, the India versus Pakistan match in Ahmedabad moved from October 15 to October 14 after police flagged security concerns tied to the first day of Navratri, part of a wider revision touching nine World Cup fixtures.
A similar swap came in January 2025, when Chennai and Kolkata traded venues for the first India versus England T20I after Kolkata Police asked the Cricket Association of Bengal to account for Republic Day duties. During that same 2023 World Cup, an England versus Pakistan fixture at Eden Gardens moved for Kali Puja on the same policing logic.
Former acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said in 2017 that the board avoids locking in dates early because of festivals such as Durga Puja in eastern India, a pattern that makes the ACB’s Ganesh Chaturthi request look familiar rather than unusual.
Tickets and Fans Face Uncertainty
Ticket sales through thumpN, the official partner, opened on August 21 at 11 AM, with prices from Rs 349 for general admission through Rs 499 and Rs 749 before premium tiers. Arun Jaitley Stadium holds between 41,000 and 48,000 depending on configuration, and demand was expected to move fast.
There is no word yet on whether tickets bought for September 13, 15 and 17 would be honored, refunded or transferred if the calendar moves. The DDCA says it had no prior knowledge of the change, and ESPNcricinfo’s listing as of August 23 still shows the original three dates. The DDCA is also building its Delhi Premier League T20 schedule around this series.
September 14 falls on a Monday in 2026, and the ACB believes the holiday atmosphere could still draw a bigger crowd than a normal weekday slot. Until Afghanistan and India settle it, fans and broadcasters are left planning around a live India Afghanistan T20I series schedule change rather than a finished fixture list.