Afghanistan will play a three-match T20I series against the West Indies in the United Arab Emirates from 19 to 22 January 2026, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed on Friday. The series will help both teams prepare for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
“Competing against the West Indies on the brink of a global event presents an excellent opportunity for our team to finalise their line-up and enhance their preparations for the upcoming mega event in India and Sri Lanka,” said ACB CEO Naseeb Khan while confirming the schedule of the series.
The three matches are scheduled to be played on 19, 21 and 22 January respectively. The venues will be announced soon by the ACB.
These matches will be important as they will give both teams a valuable chance to understand the conditions, which are similar to those they will face during next year’s World Cup.
Both Afghanistan and the West Indies have already earned their spots in the multi-nation event after finishing among the top seven teams in the 2024 World Cup.
The West Indies have won the T20 World Cup twice — in 2012 and 2016. They will hope to continue their strong form, having recently completed a 3–0 series sweep over Bangladesh. The West Indies are currently playing New Zealand in a five-match T20I series and will face South Africa after the UAE tour.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, will play a three-match T20I series against Qatar starting on 8 November. In 2024, they finished in the top four for the first time in the history of the tournament, and next year they will again hope to deliver a strong performance in India and Sri Lanka.
Series Schedule:
1st T20I – 19 January, UAE
2nd T20I – 21 January, UAE
3rd T20I – 22 January, UAE
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