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Afghanistan’s Asia Cup 2025 Squad: Surprise Selections And Shock Omissions

Rajgeeta Yadav

Afghanistan’s Asia Cup 2025 Squad [Source: AFP]Afghanistan’s Asia Cup 2025 Squad [Source: AFP]

Afghanistan have announced its 17-player squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which will be held from September 9 to 28 in Abu Dhabi. The team will be led by Rashid Khan and is placed in Group B alongside Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong.

Afghanistan’s first match will be against Hong Kong on September 9, followed by Bangladesh on September 16 and Sri Lanka on September 18 – all in Abu Dhabi.

Afghanistan squad: Rashid Khan (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Allah Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Farid Malik, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

While most of the squad was expected, a few names came as surprises – both in terms of new inclusions and unexpected exclusions.

Surprise Inclusions

1. Naveen-ul-Haq

Fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq returns to the national team after last playing in December 2024. He had retired from ODIs and wasn’t part of the team earlier this year. His impressive performance in the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, where he took 8 wickets in 3 matches, has earned him a spot. If he plays, this will be his first game for Afghanistan in 2025.

2. Allah Ghazanfar

Young spinner Allah Ghazanfar (19) is back after recovering from an injury that kept him out of the Champions Trophy. He recently performed well in Afghanistan’s domestic league Shpageeza T20 with 6 wickets in 6 matches and is currently playing in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). His inclusion was uncertain due to injury concerns, but he’s now ready to return.

3. Sharafuddin Ashraf

All-rounder Sharafuddin Ashraf (30) is another surprise pick. He wasn’t part of the T20 World Cup 2024, but strong domestic performances – 57 runs in 5 innings and 14 wickets in 9 games, have brought him back into the squad.

Notable Omissions

1. Najibullah Zadran

The experienced middle-order batter Najibullah Zadran has not been included, despite last playing for Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup 2024. This is a surprise to many fans. 

Notably, Zadran was in decent form in the Shpageeza T20, scoring 145 runs in 7 innings. However, his poor run in the AFG T20 Cup, where he managed only 11 runs in 6 innings at a strike rate of 127.59, might have worked against him.

2. Nangeyalia Kharote

The young all-rounder had a disappointing run both internationally and in domestic cricket. With only 7 runs in 5 T20I innings and modest domestic stats in the Shpageeza T20 league (44 runs and 2 wickets in 7 games), he has been dropped despite earlier expectations.

3. Fareed Ahmad

Left-arm pacer Fareed Ahmad performed decently in the Shpageeza domestic league. He scalped seven wickets in 7 matches; however, he still didn’t make the cut in the 17-member squad.