Afghanistan announce 15-member squad for T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka; same team to face West Indies in UAE T20I series

Rashid Khan has been named captain of Afghanistan’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, as the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced a 15-member squad for the tournament to be held in India and Sri Lanka. The same squad will also take part in a three-match T20I series against West Indies in the UAE as part of their preparation for the global event.

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The squad features the return of left-arm fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi, offspinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, allrounder Gulbadin Naib, and right-arm seamer Naveen-ul-Haq. Farooqi and Naib were omitted from Afghanistan’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh in October but have been recalled ahead of the World Cup. Naveen returns after recovering from a shoulder injury that kept him out of the Asia Cup in September; his last T20I appearance for Afghanistan came against Zimbabwe in December 2024.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s inclusion has resulted in AM Ghazanfar being named among the reserves, alongside Ijaz Ahmadzai and Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi.

Afghanistan enjoyed a historic campaign at the 2024 T20 World Cup, reaching the semi-finals for the first time in any ICC tournament. During that run, they recorded notable victories over higher-ranked sides including New Zealand, West Indies, Australia, and Bangladesh.

Reflecting on the upcoming tournament, ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said Afghanistan were keen to build on the momentum from the previous edition, especially with the tournament being played in Asian conditions. He added that the West Indies series would be crucial in finalising combinations and sharpening preparations.

The Afghanistan vs West Indies T20I series will be played from January 19 to 22 in the UAE. At the T20 World Cup, Afghanistan are placed in Group D alongside New Zealand, South Africa, UAE, and Canada. They will begin their campaign against New Zealand on February 8 in Chennai.

Afghanistan squad for West Indies T20Is and T20 World Cup 2026

Rashid Khan (capt), Ibrahim Zadran (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai