India-Afghanistan 1st T20I: September 13 Delhi Match to Go Ahead Despite BRICS Summit

The first T20 International between India and Afghanistan will be played as scheduled on September 13 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has confirmed. The decision comes after the Delhi Traffic Police had requested that the match be rescheduled because of heightened traffic and security arrangements for the BRICS Summit.

The BRICS Summit is scheduled for September 12 and 13 in New Delhi, bringing increased movement of foreign delegates, diplomats and VVIPs across the capital. With the cricket match also scheduled for September 13, authorities had raised concerns over traffic management and security deployment.

DDCA Confirms No Postponement

Following a meeting with the Delhi Traffic Police, the DDCA said it had received assurances regarding the necessary support and arrangements for the match.

The cricket body subsequently confirmed that the India-Afghanistan 1st T20I on September 13 will go ahead as planned, effectively ruling out a postponement at this stage.

The Delhi Traffic Police had earlier asked the DDCA to consider changing the schedule, citing the extensive security and traffic arrangements required for the BRICS Summit.

Why Was the India-Afghanistan Match Under Threat of Rescheduling?

The BRICS Summit is expected to involve the movement of several foreign dignitaries and VVIPs in Delhi. Such movements require additional security deployment, traffic diversions, route restrictions and clearance of designated VVIP routes.

The situation became more complicated because the India-Afghanistan match is expected to attract a large number of spectators, adding to the traffic burden in central Delhi. Reports have put the expected attendance at around 35,000 spectators.

The overlap of the summit and the cricket match had therefore raised concerns over whether Delhi's traffic and security agencies could manage both events simultaneously.

India vs Afghanistan T20I Schedule

The Afghanistan Cricket Board and the BCCI have confirmed a three-match T20I series between the two sides. All three games will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

Match        Date        Venue       Start Time

1st T20I September 13, 2026 Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi 7:30 PM IST

2nd T20I September 15, 2026 Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi 7:30 PM IST

3rd T20I September 17, 2026 Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi 7:30 PM IST

The 7:30 PM IST start time is listed for the series, so the earlier reference to a 7 PM start should be corrected.

Afghanistan to Host India in Delhi

Interestingly, Afghanistan is officially the host of the three-match series even though all three matches are being played in Delhi.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board and BCCI confirmed that Afghanistan would host India for the series as part of Afghanistan's Future Tours Programme. India has previously hosted Afghanistan's home fixtures, making Delhi a neutral venue for the Afghan side.

The three-match series will run from September 13 to September 17, with the second and third T20Is scheduled for September 15 and 17 respectively.

India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I: What Happens Now?

With the DDCA confirming that the September 13 match will proceed, the focus now shifts to implementing the required traffic, security and crowd-management arrangements around the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

The latest decision means there is no postponement of the India-Afghanistan 1st T20I at present, despite the earlier concerns raised by the Delhi Traffic Police over the BRICS Summit.