Massive blow to Afghanistan, Naveen Ul Haq ruled out of T20 World Cup 2026, to undergo surgery soon

Afghanistan's star pacer Naveen-ul-Haq has reportedly been ruled out of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. As per a report from ESPNCricinfo confirmed that the 26-year-old will not only miss the global showpiece but has also been sidelined for the three-match T20I series against the West Indies scheduled for next week.

Naveen Ul Haq out of T20 World Cup 2026

The right-arm seamer has had a turbulent period with injuries, having not represented Afghanistan in international cricket since December 2024. While he remained active in the franchise circuit—featuring in the SA20 and Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States—a persistent shoulder injury forced him out of the 2025 Asia Cup. This latest setback suggests that Naveen has yet to fully recover from those fitness issues.

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No replacement announced yet

While the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has not officially named a direct replacement for the squad, they have a strong pool of talent to draw from. The current reserve list includes mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar, batter Ijaz Ahmadzai, and seamer Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, the latter of whom may be the primary candidate to fill the void left by Naveen’s absence in the pace attack.

Rashid Khan leaves SA20 midway, returns for national duty

In a mid-season shift for the SA20, Rashid Khan has officially departed from the MI Cape Town camp to lead Afghanistan in their upcoming T20I series against the West Indies. His exit comes at a precarious time for the defending champions, who have struggled to find form this season. Currently languishing at the bottom of the table, the team has managed only two victories in eight matches, and losing their talismanic captain further complicates their path to redemption.

To bolster the squad following Rashid's departure, MI Cape Town has brought in veteran powerhouse Kieron Pollard for the remainder of the season. Pollard arrives in solid form, having recently led MI Emirates to a runner-up finish in the ILT20, where he showcased his trademark hitting by smashing 15 sixes and maintaining a strike rate of 141.50. While he previously captained the Cape Town side during a difficult 2024 campaign, he returns this time purely as a senior player to provide much-needed middle-order experience.

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Despite Pollard's extensive leadership resume, the franchise is not expected to hand him the captaincy. Instead, the team is set to announce a new skipper this Friday, with local stars Rassie van der Dussen and Ryan Rickelton considered the frontrunners for the role. This leadership change coincides with a broader exodus of Afghan talent from the league, as spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has also left the Paarl Royals to join the national squad for their international commitments.

Afghanistan squad for West Indies series and 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, Fazal Haq Farooqi and Abdullah Ahmadzai.

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