Afghanistan Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is confirmed, and there are a few players who played for the team in the recent matches and don’t find a place for themselves in the team. Rashid Khan continues to lead the team. The starting date of the tournament is the 7th of February 2026, while the final is all set for the 8th of March 2026. India and Sri Lanka will be the hosts for this edition of the T20 World Cup.
Surely, Afghanistan is one of the most underrated and underdog teams going into any ICC event. The previous edition that took place in the West Indies in 2024, and they came as the surprise package as they went down to the semi-finals of the competition, but eventually South Africa got the better of them. This was their best finish in the history of the T20 World Cup, and they would aim to go further this time as the team looks solid.
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Afghanistan Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026: Rashid Khan to lead
Basically, Afghanistan is placed in Group D of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The United Arab Emirates, Canada, South Africa, and New Zealand are the other teams in their group. Afghanistan will play their two matches at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai (New Zealand and Canada), one match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad (South Africa), and one match at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi (United Arab Emirates).
There is no surprise regarding who will lead the team, as the Afghanistan Cricket Board has full backing for Rashid Khan to lead the team. Rashid Khan will be joined by Noor Ahmed and Mujeeb Ur Rahman to take care of the spin department. Ibrahim Zadran will be a deputy to Rashid Khan as he has been named as the vice-captain of the team. Gulbadin Naib and Mohammad Nabi are back in the team as they bring their experience to the table.
Naveen Ul Haq has recovered from his injury and has been given the green light, and he will also be a part of the squad. Fazalhaq Farooqi, the experienced bowler, is also a part of the team. The batting department also looks well-balanced and full of hunger. AM Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai, and Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi are all named in the reserves category as they can be replaced if anyone gets injured. This will also be the squad that will play the three-match series against West Indies in the United Arab Emirates, as the series starts on the 15th of January 2026.