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

Afghanistan will play their opening game of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 against New Zealand.

Afghanistan announced their squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 on Wednesday, December 31. They have named a 15-member squad for the tournament, with all-rounder Rashid Khan named as the captain. The ICC tournament will take place from February 7 to March 8 and will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

Afghanistan will play a three-match T20I series against West Indies ahead of the T20 World Cup. The campaign will begin on January 19.

The same team will face the West Indies ahead of the ICC tournament. Afghanistan will host this series, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This series will help both teams prepare for a multi-national tournament.

Notably, all-rounder Gulbadin Naib and right-arm fast bowler Naveen ul Haq have returned to the T20I squad. The latter has made a comeback after successfully recovering from a shoulder injury. Pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, who was absent from the recent series against Bangladesh, has been added to the squad.

Moreover, batter Shahidullah Kamal, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Ishaq, and pacer Abdullah Ahmadzai have been included in the team. Experienced bowler Mujeeb Ur Rahman will be a crucial member of the spin unit, alongside Rashid Khan.

AM Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai, and Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi are three reserve players named by Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Afghanistan are placed in Group D in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, alongside Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UAE.

They will clash with New Zealand in their opening game on February 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Later, they will face South Africa on February 11, the UAE on February 16, and Canada on February 19. 

Afghanistan squad for West Indies T20I series and ICC T20 World Cup 2026

Afghanistan squad: Rashid Khan (C), Noor Ahmad, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Sediqullah Atal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Naveen Ul Haq, Mohammad Ishaq, Shahidullah Kamal, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Darwish Rasooli, Ibrahim Zadran.

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

Notably, Afghanistan did not perform well in the T20 Asia Cup 2025 in September, getting eliminated from the first round under Rashid’s captaincy. Hence, they will aim for a better show in the upcoming World Cup.

The Asian team had a remarkable performance in the previous edition in 2024, reaching the semi-finals, where South Africa defeated them.

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