Sport
Afghanistan likely to meet Bangladesh for white-ball series in October
Discussions between the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) are reportedly ongoing, and a formal announcement is expected soon.
Afghanistan is expected to host Bangladesh for a white-ball series comprising three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) in the United Arab Emirates this October, pending final confirmation of dates.
ESPNcricinfo reported this weekend that according to sources familiar with the matter, the series is likely to take place between the conclusion of the Asia Cup in September and the start of Bangladesh’s scheduled home series against West Indies in late October.
Discussions between the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) are ongoing, and a formal announcement is expected soon.
If finalized, the October series will complete the second half of what was originally intended as a full-format bilateral tour in July 2024. That tour was to include two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is.
However, logistical challenges and Bangladesh’s congested cricket calendar led to a revised plan focusing solely on the white-ball portion, initially scheduled to be played in Greater Noida, India. Those matches were eventually postponed due to weather concerns.
The ODI leg of the series was played in November 2024, with Afghanistan securing a 2–1 series victory. The upcoming fixtures will now give both teams another opportunity to sharpen their limited-overs squads ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February–March.
The T20I series will also mark the first meeting between Afghanistan and Bangladesh in the format since their dramatic encounter at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Kingstown. Afghanistan’s narrow win in that Super Eight clash secured their historic progression to the semi-finals of a global tournament for the first time.
For Afghanistan, the October series will serve as a crucial component of their international calendar, bridging the gap between the Asia Cup and a full tour of Zimbabwe set to begin at the end of October. Following that, Afghanistan is slated to play T20I series against West Indies and New Zealand as part of their World Cup preparations.
Meanwhile, both the ACB and BCB are reportedly in talks to reschedule the two-Test series originally included in the July 2024 tour, with a view to hosting it in 2026.
The Afghanistan national futsal team was eliminated from the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup in Indonesia after suffering a 6–0 defeat to Japan in their fourth match of the tournament.
This encounter marked Afghanistan’s quarter-final clash in the competition.
Despite strong effort and determination, the Lions of Khurasan were unable to find the back of the net in the first half, which ended 1–0 in Japan’s favor.
In the second half, Afghanistan controlled possession for long periods and showed improved rhythm, but they still could not break through Japan’s solid defense.
Japan ultimately dominated the match, scoring six goals in succession against Afghanistan.
Earlier in the tournament, Afghanistan had been defeated by Iran 5–2 in their third match.
However, the team had started the competition strongly, winning their first two games, 3–0 against Saudi Arabia and 7–0 against Malaysia.
All remaining matches of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 are being broadcast live on Ariana Television across Afghanistan.
Afghanistan delivered a dominant performance against Scotland in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match on Monday, registering a comprehensive 184/6 in 20 overs and restricting their opponents to 123 all out in 19.3 overs.
After winning the toss in Bengaluru, Afghanistan elected to bat. Darwish Rasooli starred with 84 runs off just 46 balls, supported by Ibrahim Zadran (36) and Mohammad Nabi (34), helping Afghanistan post a competitive total. The team scored at a healthy rate of 9.20 runs per over, with extras contributing 8 runs.
Scotland struggled in reply, losing wickets at regular intervals. Azmatullah Omarzai was particularly effective, claiming 3 crucial wickets, while Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Gulbadin Naib, and Ziaur Rahman shared the spoils to keep Scotland under pressure. The visitors were bowled out for 123, falling 61 runs short of the target, with only Matthew Cross (21) and Michael Jones (21) showing resistance.
Afghanistan’s win highlights their strong batting depth and disciplined bowling, sending a clear message ahead of the main tournament.
Afghanistan will face West Indies in their next warm-up game on Wednesday.
Sport
Afghanistan in new kit for T20 World Cup warm-up against Scotland
As part of their preparations for the global tournament, the Afghan squad is also scheduled to play a second practice match on February 4 at the same venue.
Afghanistan’s national cricket team will face Scotland today (Monday) in their first warm-up match ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has confirmed.
The team, which arrived in India two days ago, will be decked out in their new kit. According to ACB, “it’s New threads; New Colors; but Same pride”.
The match meanwhile will be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Ground 1, in Bengaluru, India, with the first ball scheduled for 2:00 pm local time, according to a statement published on the ACB’s official Facebook page.
As part of their preparations for the global tournament, the Afghan squad is also scheduled to play a second practice match on February 4 at the same venue.
The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will officially begin on February 7, with Pakistan taking on the Netherlands in the opening match in Colombo.
Afghanistan will start their campaign a day later, facing New Zealand on February 8 in Chennai.
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