The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced Afghanistan's squads for the upcoming white white-ball series against Sri Lanka. The ACB made a massive change as top-order batter Ibrahim Zadran has been appointed as the new captain of Afghanistan’s T20I team. He replaces Rashid Khan, who had been leading the side. Zadran had earlier served as the vice-captain in the shortest format of the game.
Players who dropped after T20 World Cup 2026
Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Fazal Haq Farooqi, all-rounder Gulbadin Naib, and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Ishaq, who were part of Afghanistan’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, have been dropped from both the ODI and T20I teams.
New faces in Afghanistan squad
The selectors have included some fresh names in the T20I squad. Wicketkeeper-batter Noor Rahman, spin-bowling all-rounder Sharafuddin Ashraf, and left-arm fast bowler Fareed Ahmad have all been picked for the series. Fareed Ahmad Malik has also returned to the ODI squad.
Fast bowler Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi has received his first-ever call-up to the Afghanistan ODI team.
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Young bowler Bilal Sami, who impressed in his last ODI by taking a five-wicket haul and winning the Player of the Match award, has kept his place in the ODI squad. He has also been added to the reserve list for the T20I squad.
ACB on Rashid Khan captaincy
In the T20I reserves, Nangyal Kharoti and Ijaz Ahmadzai will join Bilal Sami. For the ODI reserves, the selectors have included Bashir Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi, and Qais Ahmad.
ACB's Chief Selector, Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil, said, "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."
"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," he added.
"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
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 and Abdullah Ahmadzai.
Reserves: Nangyal Kharoti, Bilal Sami and Ijaz Ahmadzai.
Afghanistan's ODI Squad
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 and Bilal Sami.
Reserves: Qais Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi and Bashir Ahmad.