India set to host Afghanistan for three-match ODI series after WTC Final in June

India are most likely set to host Afghanistan for a three-match ODI series in the month of June after the completion of the World Test Championship Final. The series will offer Men in Blue much-needed practice and a few more opportunities for Rahul Dravid and the Indian skipper for trying combinations ahead of the World Cup later this year. The 2023 World Cup, which is most likely to begin on October 5, will be held in India.

Meanwhile, the series will also see BCCI roping in an interim broadcaster as the media rights tender will be released in June-July as per the schedule of this year. The tender process will depend on the Afghanistan tour but the process is expected to get going from the Australia series slated to take place in September.

“The Media Rights tender will be released as per schedule this year (June-July) and will depend on the Afghanistan tour, but more likely the process will start from the Australia series in September,” Shah said during a select-media interaction in Mumbai as quoted by Sportstar.

“The Board will speak to all stakeholders concerned and will come up with an interim decision (for broadcaster),” he added.

The Afghanistan tour, which was not included in the Future Tours Programme, will offer India some game-time and chance to chalk out the best possible combinations ahead of the home World Cup. This series is most likely to get going from June 16 which will be five days after the conclusion of the WTC Final. Heavyweights India and Australia are all set to lock horns in the WTC Final from June 7 at The Oval, London, and being the last edition’s finalist, India would be putting their best foot forward to clinch the glory.

With the broadcast contract between the BCCI and Star ending in March, it would be interesting to see if the BCCI will come up with a tender just for the Afghanistan series as the process for the same will begin from the Australia series as mentioned by Shah.