ACB Wants India T20I Series Moved Forward, September 14 Match Proposed
ACB asks BCCI to move India T20I dates to September 11, 13 and 14, with a Ganesh Chaturthi match proposed.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has asked the BCCI to bring forward the dates of next month’s three-match T20I series against India.
The series is currently scheduled for September 13, 15 and 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The ACB has proposed September 11, 13 and 14 as the new dates.
Ganesh Chaturthi Behind Schedule Request
The proposed change would allow one match to be played on September 14, which falls on Ganesh Chaturthi this year.
The ACB believes a game on the festival day could help attract more fans to the stadium and also increase television viewership. However, the BCCI has not yet taken a formal decision on the request.
The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), which will host the matches, has also said it has not received any official update about a change in the schedule.
The three matches will continue to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium if the revised dates are approved.
A Historic Series for Afghanistan
The T20I series will be a special occasion for Afghanistan as it marks the first time the country will officially host India in a bilateral series, even though the matches are being played in India.
Afghanistan has been using India as a venue for its home fixtures in recent years. The ACB officially announced the original September 13, 15 and 17 schedule earlier this month.
India and Afghanistan already met in a Test and three-match ODI series in June. India won the ODI series 3-0, while also securing a dominant win in the one-off Test. The upcoming T20I series will complete their all-format engagements for the season.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had earlier said, “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.”
India will have an open window after their Sri Lanka Test series ends on August 27 and before the Asian Games begin on September 24. This gives the BCCI some room to consider the ACB’s request.
