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Afghanistan squad for T20 World Cup 2026 announced; Rashid Khan named captain

Rajgeeta Yadav

Afghanistan Squad for T20 World Cup [Source: AFP]Afghanistan Squad for T20 World Cup [Source: AFP]

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Wednesday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The tournament is scheduled to take place next month in India and Sri Lanka. 

Before starting their campaign in the big global T20 event, Afghanistan will face the West Indies in a three-match T20I series. Notably, the same squad will also feature in the T20I series against WI.

This series will be hosted by Afghanistan and will be held in the UAE from January 19 to January 22. Therefore, the matches will give the team a good chance to prepare and test their combination ahead of the World Cup.

Rashid Khan to lead Afghanistan in T20 World Cup 2026

Rashid Khan has been named captain of the Afghanistan squad. Moreover, the team has been strengthened by the return of experienced all-rounder Gulbadin Naib and right-arm fast bowler Naveen ul Haq, who is making a comeback after recovering from a shoulder injury. 

Meanwhile, left-handed batter Shahidullah Kamal and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Ishaq have managed to keep their places in the squad. In addition, young pacer Abdullah Ahmadzai has been included.

Fazal Haq Farooqi, who missed the recent series against Bangladesh and played only the final T20I against Zimbabwe, has also been named in the 15-member squad for both the West Indies series and the World Cup.

Another important inclusion is mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman. As a result of his selection, AM Ghazanfar has been moved to the reserve players’ list. Along with him, middle-order batter Ijaz Ahmadzai and young fast bowler Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi have also been named as reserves.

Afghanistan Squad for the West Indies Series and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026:

Rashid Khan (Captain), Ibrahim Zadran (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen Ul Haq, Fazal Haq Farooqi and Abdullah Ahmadzai

Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai and Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi