Why Indian Cricket Team Is Allotted Visitors Dressing Room For IND vs AFG T20I 2026 Series?
Witness history as the Indian cricket team uses the visitors' dressing room at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium for their T20I series against Afghanistan, September 13-17, 2026. Afghanistan is the official host for this 'Friendship Cup' on Indian soil due to security concerns, making India the visiting side for the first time ever at home.
Cricket fans are set for a unique spectacle as the Indian cricket team prepares to play its upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan from September 13 to 17, 2026, where they will take on the role of the 'visiting' side on home ground. This unprecedented arrangement sees India's Men in Blue occupying the visitors' dressing room at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, a first in the 94-year history of Indian cricket where the host nation is not the designated home team. Delhi Weather Forecast and Rain Chances for India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I 2026.
The series, officially dubbed the 'Friendship Cup', is being hosted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in India due to ongoing security concerns and political instability in Afghanistan which prevent them from staging international matches at home. India has frequently served as a neutral venue for Afghanistan's home fixtures against various international teams, but this marks the first instance of Afghanistan hosting India on Indian soil. The administrative decision dictates that all matchday protocols, including dressing room allocations and the pre-match toss, will follow the host-visitor dynamic.
Dressing Room Protocol Explained
At the Arun Jaitley Stadium, distinct dressing rooms are designated for the home and visiting teams. For this series, Afghanistan will utilize the home dressing room, historically named after former India cricketer Raman Lamba. Conversely, the Indian team will be housed in the visitors' dressing room, which bears the name of former India player Prakash Bhandari. This logistical reversal underscores the official status of Afghanistan as the series host, impacting on-ground arrangements regardless of the physical venue. Yash Thakur Replaces Injured Harshit Rana in India's Squads for IND vs AFG T20I 2026 and Asian Games 2026.
Head-to-Head and Recent Form
Historically, India has maintained a dominant record against Afghanistan in T20 Internationals, winning nine of their ten encounters, with one match resulting in no outcome. Their most recent T20I series in January 2024 saw India secure a 3-0 clean sweep, which included a memorable tied match that India won in a double Super Over finish in the final game. This series holds significant importance as both teams fine-tune their combinations and strategies ahead of the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
This unique arrangement not only highlights Afghanistan's persistent challenges in hosting cricket at home but also demonstrates the spirit of cooperation within the cricketing world, offering both teams vital preparation for upcoming international assignments.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 13, 2026 07:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
