Rashid Khan to Captain Afghanistan at the 2026 T20 World Cup as Key Stars Return

Afghanistan has already settled on a 15-player team to play in the T20 World Cup next year, with Rashid Khan being the new captain of the team. The team will initially play its matches against the West Indies in a three-match T20I series in the UAE, and will then travel to India and Sri Lanka to compete in the tournament.

Some of the well-known match-winners in the squad include Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Gulbadin Naib, and Naveen-ul-Haq. Farooqi and Naib had missed the previous white-ball tour of Bangladesh, but their return adds balance and depth to the squad, which offers the team the balance and depth as the championship approaches.

Mujeeb has replaced AM Ghazanfar on the reserve list with Ijaz Ahmadzai and Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi. Naveen-ul-Haq is also back in the team after he was out of the game with a shoulder injury during the Asia Cup. His last T20I was in December 2024 against Zimbabwe.

Afghanistan comes into this World Cup with a newfound confidence, having come out of the semi-finals in 2024, the first time the country has ever gotten to the final four of an ICC tournament. They had a memorable run that saw them beat higher-ranked teams such as New Zealand, West Indies, Australia, and Bangladesh.

“Afghanistan had a terrific run in the previous edition of the T20 World Cup. We cherish excellent memories from the past, and hope for even better results this year, which will be played in Asian conditions,” said Naseeb Khan, the Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO. “Hosting the West Indies team provides us with an incredible opportunity to fine-tune our combination and prepare adequately for the World Cup.”

The warm-up series against the West Indies will run from January 19 to 22 in the UAE. At the main tournament, Afghanistan has been placed in Group D alongside New Zealand, South Africa, UAE, and Canada. Their World Cup journey begins against New Zealand on February 8 in Chennai.

Afghanistan Squad for T20 World Cup 2026 (and vs West Indies)

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, and Abdullah Ahmadzai

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