Match confirmed after security talks with Delhi Police

Cricket fans in the national capital can breathe easy. The first T20I between India and Afghanistan will go ahead as scheduled on September 13 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) confirmed on Thursday evening, ending days of uncertainty over the fixture.

The match had come under a cloud of uncertainty after the Delhi Police sought a change in the schedule because of the heavy security requirements surrounding the high-profile BRICS Summit in the capital. However, the DDCA moved quickly to douse speculation, announcing in a social media post that there would be no change to the match date.

"India–Afghanistan 1st T20I on 13 September at Arun Jaitley Stadium will go ahead as scheduled. Following a meeting with Delhi Traffic Police, DDCA has been assured of all necessary support and arrangements," the association said.

All three T20Is to be played in Delhi

The Afghanistan-India series will consist of three T20Is, with all matches being played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, running from September 13 to September 17. All fixtures are night games, scheduled for a 7:00 PM IST start.

• 1st T20I: September 13, 7:00 PM IST — New Delhi
• 2nd T20I: September 15, 7:00 PM IST — New Delhi
• 3rd T20I: September 17, 7:00 PM IST — New Delhi

Shreyas Iyer to lead India

India will be led by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma named vice-captain. The home side boasts a blend of explosive batting and a formidable spin-bowling unit.

India full squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur.

Afghanistan bring strong spin attack

Afghanistan will be captained by opening batter Ibrahim Zadran, with a familiar group of match-winners in their squad. With the likes of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad in the ranks, Afghanistan carry a dangerous spin attack capable of troubling any batting line-up on Delhi's surfaces.

Afghanistan full squad: Ibrahim Zadran (c), Abdollah Ahmadzai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Darwish Rasooli, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Nangeyalia Kharote, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Noor ul Rahman, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rashid Khan, Sediqullah Atal.

With logistics now confirmed, attention turns to an intriguing contest between India's depth and Afghanistan's proven match-winners under the lights in the capital.