Rashid Khan To Lead Afghanistan In T20 World Cup 2026; Naveen Ul Haq, Gulbadin Naib Return To Squad

Afghanistan have announced their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Rashid Khan will lead the Afghanistan contingent while Ibrahim Zadran will deputise him in the tournament, scheduled to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka jointly.

Afghanistan Announced Strong T20 World Cup Squad

All-rounder Gulbadin Naib and fast bowler Naveen Ul Haq have also been added to the squad after successfully recovering from injury. Fazal Haq Farooqi returned to the fold during the last T20I match against Zimbabwe and has also been included in the squad. Shahidullah Kamal and Mohammad Ishaq will also play pivotal roles in the tournament.

Ahead of the T20 WC, Afghanistan will be involved in a T20I tri-series with Sri Lanka and the West Indies in Dubai.

AM Ghazanfar has been added to the travelling reserves. As per an official press release, Mr Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil, ACB’s Chief Selector, said, “We had good discussions over the past few days and finalized the squad. Gulbadin Naib is a big-match player, and his return boosts our team. We are also pleased to have Naveen Ul Haq back, which enhances the quality of our fast bowling.”

Afghanistan will open their T20 World Cup journey with a clash against New Zealand in Chennai on February 8.

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Afghanistan Squad For 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, Naveen Ul Haq, Fazal Haq Farooqi and Abdullah Ahmadzai.

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

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