KABUL, Afghanistan (CMC) — Afghanistan is set to host the West Indies for a Twenty20 International (T20I) series just before the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced on Friday that the two teams will play three T20Is between January 19 and 22 in the United Arab Emirates as part of their build up to the World Cup.

The Men’s T20 World Cup will take place from February 7 to March 8, 2026, and is being co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India.

Following their 3-0 series sweep against Bangladesh last month, the West Indies are in the midst of a five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which was tied 1-1 at press time.

They will also face South Africa soon after the series against Afghanistan in January.

Afghanistan’s next T20I outing will see them feature in a three-match T20I series against Qatar, beginning Saturday.

Chief executive officer of the ACB, Naseeb Khan, said the series presents an important opportunity for Afghanistan to fine-tune their preparations for the global event set to be hosted in February-March.

“Competing against the West Indies on the brink of a global event presents an excellent opportunity for our team to finalise their line-up and enhance their preparations for the upcoming mega event in India and Sri Lanka,” Khan said.

Director of Cricket at Cricket West Indies, Miles Bascombe, also welcomed the opportunity for the regional side to get additional practice ahead of the World Cup.

“Facing strong opposition in subcontinental conditions will help us sharpen our combinations and approach, and it also gives our players a chance to build confidence on surfaces similar to those we’ll encounter in India and Sri Lanka,” Bascombe said.