Rashid Khan And..? 3 Bowlers Who Will Be Crucial For Afghanistan In Champions Trophy

3 Top bowlers for Afghanistan in Champions Trophy 2025 [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]

Champions Trophy 2025 will start from February 19. Afghanistan will be the dark horse for the tournament as it has performed extremely well in its last couple of ICC events. More than their batsmen, it is the bowlers that will be their core strength going into the event.

Afghanistan’s meteoric rise in international cricket is an inspiring tale. From being underdogs to being title contenders, the team has come a long way amid sheer hardships and lack of facility back home.

In the 2023 ODI World Cup, Afghanistan beat heavyweight teams like Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka. Moreover, they defeated Australia in the 2024 T20 World Cup and qualified for the semi-final stage, marking one of biggest moments of their cricket history.

Afghanistan are no more the underdog for the Champions Trophy 2025. In the following list, there are 3 bowling stalwarts from Afghanistan who would be a boon to the country in the much-awaited ICC competition.

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1. Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan [Source: Rashid Khan/X.com]

Rashid Khan is arguably the best spinner in world cricket, and he is going to be a game-changer for Afghanistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Having been out of action due to injuries, he made a comeback in the Zimbabwe series and has been consistent ever since. Rashid's talent is undeniable. 

His deceptive googlies and effective variations can prove disastrous for any quality batter on a given day. For the record, last year Rashis picked 15 wickets from 8 ODIs. 

Most recently, he played SA20 2024-25 season as captain for MI Cape Town and took 9 wickets in 9 games. His overall record in the ODI format is fantastic with 198 wickets in 111 games, including 5 five-wicket-hauls.

2. Fazalhaq Farooqi

Fazalhaq Farooqi [Source: @fazalfarooqi10/X.com]

Fazalhaq Farooqi is another emerging talent for Afghanistan. He is one of the underrated players and has often gone unnoticed. However, in the recent T20 leagues, he has demonstrated that he can provide economical spells as well as important wickets at the right moment. 

He clocks a decent speed of about 150 kmph and has successfully mastered many variations, including slower balls and beamers. 

In his ODI career spanned across 39 balls, Farooqi has picked 50 wickets with 5.77 economy. In the latest ILT20 2025 season, he did well in scalping 20 wickets in the 10 games played, including a fifer. Hence, with sublime form, Fazalhaq Farooqi will likely spearhead Afghanistan’s pace attack.

3. Allah Ghazanfar

Allah Ghazanfar [Source: @Shahbazshab7173/X.com]

Allah Ghazanfar, the 18 year old promising spinner, is likely to be Afghanistan's underrated masterstroke. In just 11 ODIs, he has picked 21 wickets, with two five-wicket-haul. His career best is 6/26 which is against Bangladesh in a bilateral series. 

Ghazanfar is someone who will unsettle the opposition as not many are familiar with his action and variations. The unknown factory could produce wonders for Ghazanfar if he stays to his line and length.

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