"It's A Big Challenge": India Star's Honest Take On Afghanistan T20I Series
In their last bilateral assignment ahead of the Asian Games 2026, India take on Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series.
- In their final bilaterals ahead of the Asian Games, India take on Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series
- "We aren't using the Afghanistan series as preparation for the Asian Games," said Shivam Dube
- "It's a big challenge for us to play against Afghanistan, and yes, we will try to win the series," he added
The Indian cricket team takes on Afghanistan in a three-game T20I series, starting September 13. Right after the matches, Shreyas Iyer and Co. will head to Japan for the Asian Games 2026. The men's competition at the quadrennial event will begin on September 24, with the bronze and gold medal matches scheduled for October 3. India will enter the tournament as defending champions, having won gold in the 2023 edition in Hangzhou. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are the seeded teams, and they will start their respective campaigns from the quarter-finals.
When asked if the matches against Afghanistan will be Team India's dress rehearsal for the Asian Games, all-rounder Shivam Dube said the series will be a "big challenge" for them.
"We aren't using the Afghanistan series as preparation for the Asian Games. When you play any series for the national team, you can't think that I'll use this series to prepare myself for the next assignment. It doesn't look good, and it doesn't suit our style as well. It's a big challenge for us to play against Afghanistan, and yes, we will try to win the series," Dube told Hindustan Times.
The Indian cricketers competing at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan will stay at the designated accommodation arranged by the Organising Committee, though it is not the five-star accommodation they usually get on foreign tours, BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla said on Tuesday.
Shukla said the issue regarding accommodation for the cricketers had arisen due to the scarcity of top-rated hotels in Nagoya. He, however, said accommodation for the cricketers was not a big issue and that the BCCI and the players were satisfied with the arrangement.
"Whatever they (organisers) are providing, we are staying there and we are keeping a watch on what kind of accommodation is being given so that our players are comfortable. Definitely those are not five-star, but good accommodation," Shukla said at the send-off ceremony of the Indian contingent.
"Whatever has been offered to our cricketers, we have got photographs and videos of that accommodation, so I think it's comfortable. They (cricketers) will be going and staying there because otherwise the options were to make them stay in Osaka or Tokyo, which are far away."
(With PTI Inputs)
India Cricket Team
Afghanistan