The India vs Afghanistan three-match T20I series could be shifted after Delhi Police reportedly raised concerns over hosting the opening match on Sunday, September 13. The first T20I is currently scheduled to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
According to the current schedule, India and Afghanistan will play the first match on 13 September, second T20I on 15 September and third T20I on 17 September. Afghanistan Cricket Board and BCCI had earlier confirmed all three matches for Delhi.
But Delhi Police has requested that the date of the opening match be changed because of security reasons. A final decision on any such change will be taken by the cricket boards and government.
Why Is The First T20I Facing A Problem?
The problem is that the match is on a Sunday, when a large crowd is expected at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Security arrangements around a big international cricket match can require major deployment of police personnel, traffic management and crowd-control measures.
The Delhi Police are understood to have asked for the fixture to be reconsidered rather than play the match on this date.
At present, there is no official confirmation that the match has been postponed or moved. The BCCI's official schedule still lists the first T20I for Sunday, September 13 with the second and third matches on September 15 and 17.
The situation is also important because the series comes at a busy time for Indian cricket. Some of the Afghanistan T20I players selected for the series are also part of India’s plans for the Asian Games later this month.
India's squad is led by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma as vice-captain. In the squad are Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.
What Is The Current Schedule?
The three matches are scheduled at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
First T20I: September 13, Sunday. Second T20I: September 15, Tuesday. Third T20I: September 17, Thursday.
The first match will begin at 7 PM IST.
There has already been talk about changing the series schedule. In August, the Afghanistan Cricket Board had asked if one of the first two matches could be moved to September 14, which falls on Ganesh Chaturthi. No final change was announced at that time.
The latest Delhi Police request adds to the uncertainty of the opening match.
For now, fans who are going to attend the match should continue to follow the official updates from the BCCI, Afghanistan Cricket Board and Delhi authorities. Without any changes to the schedule, the first T20I is scheduled for September 13 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
India will go into the series with a strong squad and will be looking to build momentum ahead of the Asian Games. Afghanistan will attempt to make the most of the three-match series although they are playing their home matches in Delhi.
