On Thursday, the Afghanistan Cricket Board announced the squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka. One of the biggest highlights of the squad was the absence of captain Rashid Khan. The board’s National Selection Committee confirmed that top-order batter Ibrahim Zadran will be the new captain of Afghanistan’s T20I team, replacing Rashid Khan.
It has to be noted that Ibrahim Zadran had earlier served the Afghanistan cricket team as the vice-captain in the format. He is now all set to lead the team in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
ACB Made Some Big Changes in Afghanistan’s White-Ball Squads
Apart from the captaincy change, the selectors have made several changes to the squads. Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib, and Mohammad Ishaq have been dropped from both the ODI and T20I teams despite being part of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
Meanwhile, Noor Rahman, Sharafuddin Ashraf, and Fareed Ahmad Malik have been included in the T20I squad. Fareed Ahmad Malik has also returned to the ODI team, while Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi has received his maiden ODI call-up.
Why Afghanistan Changed T20I Leadership
ACB Chief Selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil opened up on the board’s decision to remove Rashid Khan from the captaincy. Ahmad Shah praised Rashid Khan’s leadership while outlining the future plans of the board.
“Rashid Khan’s tenure as the T20I captain brought immense success to the team, particularly highlighted by the team’s remarkable journey in the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup, where we reached the semi-finals. In alignment with the ACB’s long-term strategic vision and following recent changes in our Team Management, including the appointment of a new head coach, we have made the thoughtful decision to transition the leadership within the T20I setup.”
He added, “Ibrahim Zadran, who has served as Rashid Khan’s deputy, will assume the role of Afghanistan’s regular captain in this format. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Rashid Khan for his valuable contributions and wish Ibrahim Zadran every success in this important new role.”
Focus on Future World Cup Campaigns
Furthermore, Sulimankhil also stressed that the leadership change is part of a long-term strategy to prepare the team for upcoming ICC tournaments.
“In addition, our long-term goal is to adequately prepare the team for the upcoming two World Cup events. We are hopeful that, under this new leadership, the National Team will not only flourish but also showcase outstanding performances and build a strong and competitive bench strength for the crucial challenges that lie ahead,” he said.
Afghanistan’s T20I Squad vs Sri Lanka
Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Noor Rahman (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai
Reserves: Nangyal Kharoti, Bilal Sami, Ijaz Ahmadzai
Afghanistan’s ODI Squad vs Sri Lanka
Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Bilal Sami
Reserves: Qais Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Bashir Ahmad
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