Afghanistan Cricket Board has announced the 15-member squad for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Star leg spinner Rashid Khan will once again captain the team, while Ibrahim Zadran will be the vice-captain. Experienced all-rounder Gulbadin Naib and fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq have returned to this team, which makes the team stronger.
Major withdrawals and changes
The return of Gulbadin Naib will bring experience and stability to the middle order. He has proved his usefulness in big matches. Naveen-ul-Haq has fully recovered from his shoulder injury and will give edge to the fast bowling attack.
The return of Mujeeb ur Rahman is also important, due to which young spinner AM Ghazanfar was kept in reserve. Fazalhaq Farooqui has also returned to the team. Young players like Shahidullah Kamal and Mohammad Ishaq have secured their places with good performances.
ACB Name AfghanAtalan Squad for the West Indies Series and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Kabul – December 31, 2025: The Afghanistan Cricket Board’s National Selection Committee has finalized the AfghanAtalan Squad for the upcoming T20I series against the West Indies and the… pic.twitter.com/odBoCbMAWy
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) December 31, 2025
World Cup preparation
This team will also play a three-match T20 series against West Indies in UAE in January 2026. This series will give an opportunity for final preparation before the World Cup. Afghanistan played the semi-finals for the first time in the 2024 World Cup and now better performance is expected in Asian conditions. Spin bowling is the biggest strength of the team, which includes names like Rashid, Mujeeb, Noor and Nabi.
First match against New Zealand
Afghanistan is in Group D, where New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and UAE are their rivals. His first match will be against New Zealand in Chennai on 8 February 2026. Afghanistan Cricket Board officials said that the team is balanced and aims to repeat the previous performance and move forward.
Afghanistan’s 15-member team
Rashid Khan (captain), Ibrahim Zadran (vice-captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Ishaq (wicketkeeper), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Umarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmed, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqui, Abdullah Ahmedzai.
Reserve players: AM Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Zia ur Rehman Sharifi.
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