The white-ball series between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, scheduled in the UAE from March 13 to 25, is likely to be postponed indefinitely in view of the prevailing situation in West Asia.

According to ESPNcricinfo, neither Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) nor Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has issued an official statement regarding the series, but both boards have agreed that the matches cannot be held in the UAE.

While both boards are still weighing options to conduct the series in an alternative venue, the matches are unlikely to be shifted elsewhere due to logistical challenges.

The Afghanistan-Sri Lanka white-ball series was set to kick off on March 13 with three T20Is in Sharjah, followed by three ODIs in Dubai.

The series was set to be Afghanistan’s first assignment under Ibrahim Zadran’s leadership, with the opener taking over the reins from veteran spinner Rashid Khan after a group-stage exit in the recently concluded T20 World Cup.

Conflict unsettles travel plans

The travel plans of several teams that were in India and Sri Lanka for the men’s T20 World Cup have been disrupted with several West Asian countries shutting or restricting their airspace.

The West Indies and South Africa teams, despite their exit from the T20 WC, are currently stuck in Kolkata. South Africa lost to New Zealand in the semifinals on March 4, while the West Indies were eliminated after a five-wicket defeat to India in the Super Eights on March 1.

The aforementioned teams are scheduled to fly out on Tuesday.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino congratulated the International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah for the successful organisation of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Sharing a photo of himself holding the Indian jersey on his social media handle, Infantino also congratulated the Indian cricket team on winning a record third Men’s T20 World Cup title.

“Congratulations to the ICC and my friend Jay Shah for another wonderfully organised T20 World Cup. Many congratulations to India for another title. Having visited your wonderful country, I know how much this means to you,” Infantino wrote.

Earlier, in February, Gianni Infantino met Jay Shah in Milan, marking a massive crossover moment between two of the most popular sports in the world. After meeting Shah, Infantino took to Instagram, sharing a picture of himself with the ICC Chairman, hailing his work in cricket’s growth and wishing him luck as the sport makes a grand return to the Olympic programme at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He had also expressed the desire for collaboration with Shah in their bid to “unite the world through sports”.

“It was my pleasure to meet @icc Chairman Jay Shah today in Milan. The outstanding work he has done to grow the beautiful game of cricket is exemplary. I wish him and everyone the very best as cricket gets re-introduced to the Summer Olympic Games in two years time. I also look forward to working together and collaborating as we unite the world through sports,” Gianni had said in his Instagram post after meeting Jay Shah in February.

Coming to the T20 World Cup, the tournament concluded with India defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final, held at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, on Sunday. The victory made India the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first to win consecutive titles after their 2024 win, and the first to lift the trophy three times (2007, 2024, and 2026).

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Gambhir acknowledged the influence of those who helped build the system that continues to produce success for Indian cricket.

India created history by becoming the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title and also the first side to win the tournament on home soil. India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium to lift their third T20 World Cup trophy.

The India head coach thanked former BCCI secretary and current International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah for supporting him during challenging phases of his tenure.

And last but not the least, I have to thank Jay Bhai (Jay Shah) because not many people actually called me when I went through the lowest moments of my tenure whether it was after New Zealand or after South Africa series loss. The only person who actually called me was Jay Bhai, said the India head coach.

I really have to thank him for trusting me with this job because I remember very clearly that when I was given this role, I had no experience of being the head coach of any franchise or any team. Yet he still trusted me with the responsibility. So I have to thank him for that. And I think as long as people like him are there, Indian cricket is in very, very safe hands, he concluded.