Afghanistan national cricket team vs Sri Lanka national cricket team Series Postponed Amid Iran–Israel–US conflict 2026

The ODI and T20 series between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka has been put on hold due to the war between Iran, Israel, and the US. The officials of the Afghanistan Cricket Board have reportedly confirmed this news. The series between them was scheduled to be played in the UAE from March 13-25. The series consisted of three ODIs and three T20s.

A Cricbuzz report quoted Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) Chief Executive Naseeb Khan as saying that the white-ball series against Sri Lanka has been postponed. There were some difficulties with flights, logistics, and terrain conditions. This is why this important decision has been made.

He stated that they also explored other options for hosting these matches in Sri Lanka and remained in constant contact with the Sri Lanka Cricket Board. However, at that time, no flights were available from the UAE to Sri Lanka. He further added that arranging production, hotels, ground bookings, and security in such a short time was quite challenging. Therefore, they ultimately decided to postpone it.

He stated that the series will now be played in the last quarter of this year, between October and December. The T20I series was expected to mark the beginning of Ibrahim Zadran's captaincy in the shortest format, as he had recently replaced Rashid Khan as the captain of the Afghanistan T20 team.

It is worth noting that the West Indies team was also stranded in India due to the Iran-Israel-US war. Commercial flights have now been arranged for the team's players and support staff. Cricket West Indies said in a statement that, keeping the safety and well-being of the players and support staff in mind, the ICC was advised that it would be inappropriate to wait for a charter flight, as its arrangements were still unclear. Following this, West Indies Cricket, the players, and other stakeholders worked together with the ICC to arrange commercial travel for the team's safe return.

The statement also stated that some players and staff have already departed India. The remaining members will depart for their home countries on Wednesday (March 11) on separate flights. West Indies Cricket also thanked fans and other stakeholders for their concern and support during this time. The board said that everyone's patience and cooperation should be appreciated.