Quick Answer: In the complete Afghanistan national cricket team vs India national cricket team timeline, India has never lost a single match – winning across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, with only two ties standing between Afghanistan and a maiden victory. This guide breaks down every meeting and every record, and traces how the rivalry evolved from a one-sided contest into a genuinely competitive fixture on the ICC calendar.
Cricket rivalries usually take decades to mature. This one compressed that evolution into twelve years – from Afghanistan’s ODI debut against a giant to a 2026 home series where India’s dominance looked less like a mismatch and more like a routine. Understanding the India vs Afghanistan head-to-head timeline matters not just for stat-lovers but for anyone tracking Afghanistan’s rise as a Full Member nation and India’s evolving squad depth heading into future ICC events.
Understanding the India vs Afghanistan Cricket Rivalry
India leads the overall head-to-head record with zero losses across all formats, while Afghanistan’s best results remain two tied matches – one ODI in 2018 and one T20I in 2024. This makes the India-Afghanistan rivalry one of the most one-sided in modern international cricket, despite Afghanistan’s rapid rise in white-ball formats.
Why This Rivalry Draws Global Attention
Afghanistan’s cricket board built its national team around a spin-heavy attack featuring Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi, players who regularly trouble top-order batters from Full Member nations. Against India specifically, though, that threat has rarely translated into results, largely because India’s top order – anchored by Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and more recently Suryakumar Yadav – has consistently found ways to counter unorthodox spin under pressure.
The broader AFG vs IND cricket rivalry also carries symbolic weight. Afghanistan cricket emerged from refugee camps and war-torn conditions to Test status in under two decades, and matches against India – a cricketing superpower – serve as a benchmark for how far that development has come.
Complete Afghanistan vs India Timeline: Every Match Listed
Here is the full chronological match list covering every India-Afghanistan encounter from their first meeting in 2014 through the 2026 home series, including format, venue, and result for each fixture.
| Date | Format | Tournament/Series | Venue | Winner | Margin |
| Feb 24, 2014 | ODI | Asia Cup | Fatullah | India | 8 wickets |
| Jun 14–17, 2018 | Test | Only Test | Bengaluru | India | Innings & 262 runs |
| Sep 25, 2018 | ODI | Asia Cup Super Four | Dubai | Tied | – |
| Jun 22, 2019 | ODI | ICC World Cup | Southampton | India | 11 runs |
| Nov 3, 2022 | T20I | T20 World Cup | Perth | India | 101 runs |
| Jan 17, 2024 | T20I | Bilateral T20I | Bengaluru | Tied | – |
| Oct 11, 2023 | ODI | ICC World Cup | Delhi | India | 8 wickets |
| Jun 20, 2024 | T20I | T20 World Cup Super 8 | Bridgetown | India | 47 runs |
| Jun 6–8, 2026 | Test | Afghanistan tour of India | New Chandigarh | India | Innings & 300 runs |
| Jun 13, 2026 | ODI | Afghanistan tour of India | Dharamsala | India | 7 wickets |
| Jun 17, 2026 | ODI | Afghanistan tour of India | Lucknow | India | 170 runs |
| Jun 20, 2026 | ODI | Afghanistan tour of India | Chennai | India | 9 wickets |
Read More: Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team Timeline
A Note on Match Counts
Slight variations exist across statistical databases depending on when the snapshot was taken, since some early bilateral T20I fixtures from the mid-2010s carry incomplete scorecards. The table above reflects the most verified and complete match record available through mid-2026.
India vs Afghanistan Record by Format: Full Breakdown
India holds a perfect unbeaten record in every format against Afghanistan – 2-0 in Tests, 6-0-1 in ODIs, and 2-0-1 in T20Is. This makes India the only Full Member team Afghanistan has never beaten in a bilateral or ICC tournament setting across three formats.
| Format | Matches | India Won | Afghanistan Won | Tied |
| Test | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| ODI | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| T20I | 3+ | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Why the T20I Count Carries an Asterisk
Some bilateral fixtures from 2016 and 2021 exist in fragmented form across different cricket databases, meaning the true T20I count could be marginally higher. Regardless of the exact number, the win-loss pattern remains unchanged – India has never lost a T20I to Afghanistan.
Top Run Scorers in the India-Afghanistan Rivalry
Mohammad Shahzad holds the record for most ODI runs scored against India with 146 runs, while Virat Kohli leads all-time T20I scoring in this fixture with 201 runs. These numbers reflect not just longevity but the quality of bowling each batter faced across formats.
| Format | Player | Runs |
| Test | Shikhar Dhawan (IND) | 107 |
| ODI | Mohammad Shahzad (AFG) | 146 |
| ODI | Mohammad Nabi (AFG) | 122 |
| T20I | Virat Kohli (IND) | 201 |
| T20I | Rohit Sharma (IND) | 196 |
What Makes Shahzad’s Record Significant
Mohammad Shahzad’s ODI tally against India stands out because it came almost entirely against a full-strength Indian bowling attack, including spells from Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami. His aggressive top-order approach against India mirrors the template Afghanistan’s current batting group tries to replicate.
Leading Wicket-Takers Across the Rivalry
Ravindra Jadeja is the highest wicket-taker against Afghanistan across Tests and ODIs, while Arshdeep Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin share the lead in T20Is with five wickets each. India’s bowling success against Afghanistan has consistently come from spin and disciplined seam bowling rather than raw pace.
| Format | Player | Wickets |
| Test | Ravindra Jadeja (IND) | 6 |
| ODI | Ravindra Jadeja (IND) | 7 |
| ODI | Mohammed Shami (IND) | 6 |
| T20I | Arshdeep Singh (IND) | 5 |
| T20I | R. Ashwin (IND) | 5 |
The Jadeja Factor
Jadeja’s dominance against Afghanistan isn’t accidental – his tight economy rate and ability to extract turn on Indian pitches consistently neutralize an Afghan batting order that thrives against pace but struggles with disciplined left-arm spin.
Biggest Wins and Closest Matches in AFG vs IND History
India’s largest-ever win margin against Afghanistan came by an innings and 300 runs in the June 2026 Test, while their closest non-tied result was an 11-run win at the 2019 World Cup. These two extremes illustrate how the gap between the sides has widened in bilateral conditions while narrowing occasionally in high-pressure ICC events.
- Largest overall margin: Innings and 300 runs – India vs Afghanistan Test, New Chandigarh, June 2026
- Largest T20I margin: 101 runs – T20 World Cup 2022, Perth
- Closest result (non-tie): 11 runs – ICC World Cup 2019, Southampton
- Tied matches: 2018 Asia Cup ODI (Dubai) and 2024 bilateral T20I (Bengaluru)
Reading Between the Margins
A tight 11-run margin in a World Cup fixture and a 300-run demolition in a home Test aren’t contradictory – they reflect how much conditions and match context shape this rivalry. Afghanistan competes hardest in high-stakes ICC tournaments away from India, while home series in Indian conditions have produced consistently lopsided results.
Rivalry Evolution: Three Distinct Eras Explained
The India-Afghanistan rivalry can be divided into three clear eras: an introduction phase (2014-2018), a competitive growth phase (2019-2024), and an Indian dominance phase (2025-2026). Each era reflects a different stage in Afghanistan’s cricketing development relative to India’s squad depth.
Era 1 – Introduction Phase (2014-2018)
Afghanistan entered international cricket against India as a relative unknown, losing comfortably in their first meeting at the 2014 Asia Cup. By 2018, though, they had earned Test status and produced their first real statement – a tied ODI against India at the Asia Cup in Dubai, even as India won the inaugural Test between the sides by an innings.
Era 2 – Competitive Growth Phase (2019-2024)
This period saw Afghanistan’s bowling attack, built around Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, force India into uncomfortable positions. The 11-run win at the 2019 World Cup and the tied 2024 T20I in Bengaluru both signaled a genuine narrowing of the gap, even though India never actually lost.
Era 3 – Indian Dominance Phase (2025-2026)
India’s 2026 home series against Afghanistan produced the most one-sided results in the rivalry’s history – an innings-and-300-run Test win followed by ODI margins of 7 wickets, 170 runs, and 9 wickets. This phase suggests home conditions and India’s bench depth, rather than a genuinely closing gap, define the current state of the rivalry.
Recent Results: Last Five India vs Afghanistan Matches
India has won its last five matches against Afghanistan, including a complete sweep of the 2026 home series and the 2024 T20 World Cup Super 8 clash. This recent stretch reinforces India’s unbeaten streak heading into future encounters.
| Date | Format | Result |
| Jun 20, 2026 | ODI | India won by 9 wickets |
| Jun 17, 2026 | ODI | India won by 170 runs |
| Jun 13, 2026 | ODI | India won by 7 wickets |
| Jun 6–8, 2026 | Test | India won by innings & 300 runs |
| Jun 20, 2024 | T20I | India won by 47 runs |
Key Player Battles That Defined This Rivalry
The India-Afghanistan rivalry has been shaped by specific individual battles – Rashid Khan’s leg-spin against India’s top order, and India’s pace-spin combination against Afghanistan’s aggressive openers. These matchups often determine the outcome of close phases within otherwise one-sided matches.
- Rashid Khan vs Indian top order: Consistently tests India’s batters against wrist-spin in the middle overs.
- Mohammad Nabi vs Ravindra Jadeja: Two all-rounders whose containment battles often shape momentum
- Jasprit Bumrah vs Afghanistan’s power-hitters: Bumrah’s death-over control has repeatedly ended Afghan chases early
- Mohammad Shahzad vs India’s opening bowlers: Historically,y Afghanistan’s most explosive counter-attacking threat
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Afghanistan ever beaten India in cricket?
No. Afghanistan has never won a match against India in any format across Tests, ODIs, or T20Is; their best results are two tied matches.
What is the complete India vs Afghanistan head-to-head record?
India leads 2-0 in Tests, 6-0-1 in ODIs, and 2-0-1 in T20Is, giving them an unbeaten record across every format played so far.
Who has scored the most runs for Afghanistan against India?
Mohammad Shahzad leads with 146 ODI runs against India, followed closely by Mohammad Nabi with 122 runs.
What is India’s biggest win margin against Afghanistan?
India’s largest-ever win margin against Afghanistan came by an innings and 300 runs in the June 2026 Test at New Chandigarh.
How many times have India and Afghanistan played a Test match?
Twice – once in 2018 at Bengaluru and again in 2026 at New Chandigarh, with India winning both matches by an innings margin.
Who is the leading wicket-taker in the India-Afghanistan rivalry?
Ravindra Jadeja holds the record across Tests and ODIs, while Arshdeep Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin share the lead in T20Is.
When did India and Afghanistan first play against each other?
Their first official meeting came at the 2014 Asia Cup in Fatullah, where India won comfortably by 8 wickets.
What was Afghanistan’s closest result against India?
Afghanistan’s closest non-tied result came at the 2019 World Cup in Southampton, where India won by just 11 runs.
Did Afghanistan ever tie a match against India?
Yes, twice – a tied ODI at the 2018 Asia Cup in Dubai and a tied T20I during a bilateral series in Bengaluru in 2024.
How dominant was India in the 2026 home series against Afghanistan?
India swept every match in the 2026 series, including an innings-and-300-run Test win and ODI victories by 7 wickets, 170 runs, and 9 wickets, marking the most one-sided phase in the rivalry’s history.