The Afghanistan Cricket Board has announced its 15-player roster for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka in February-March. Afghanistan team is gearing up for another major global tournament in the subcontinent with star spinner Rashid Khan named captain.

Ahead of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Afghanistan national cricket team will fine-tune their preparations with a three-match T20I series against the West Indies. The same team selected for the World Cup will participate in the upcoming series, thus providing continuity ahead of the global tournament.

The series will be held in the United Arab Emirates from January 19 to 22. Notably, these games are expected to help Afghanistan test combinations, assess player status and finalize the starting lineup before the match.

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Afghanistan T20 World Cup squad announced, Rashid Khan named captain, AM Ghazanfar snubbed

Rashid Khan will lead Afghanistan in the upcoming T20 duty. The team has received a boost with the return of experienced all-rounder Gulbadin Naib and fast bowler Naveen ul Haq, who has recovered from a shoulder injury.

Mohammad Nabi, Mujibur Ur Rahman, Rahmanullah Gulbaaz and other young talents were selected for the World Cup. Afghanistan selectors focus on experience, balance and depth as they prepare for the West Indies series and the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

2026 West Indies Series and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Line-up:

Rashid Khan (Captain), Ibrahim Zadran (VC), Rehmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Saidikulla Atal, Darwish Rasouli, Shahidullah Kamal , Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmed, Mujibur Ur Rahman, Naveen ul Haq, Fazal Haq Farooqi and Abdullah Ahmedzai

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

ACB confident of T20 World Cup 2026

Afghanistan Cricket Board officials are confident about the team’s prospects of participating in the 2026 T20 World Cup. CEO Naseeb Khan said conditions in Asia would suit Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan Attaran had an outstanding performance in the last T20 World Cup. We cherish the good memories of the past and hope to achieve better results this year in Asian conditions. The host West Indies provide us with a perfect opportunity to fine-tune our squad and be fully prepared for the World Cup,” said Naseeb Khan.

Chief selector Ahmed Shah Sulimankir said the return of Gulbadin Naib strengthened the team due to his big-match experience, while the return of Naveen-ul-ul-Haq strengthened the team’s pace attack. Sulimankhil also admitted that AM Ghazanfar missed the chance to make space for Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

“We had good discussions over the past few days and finalized the line-up. Gulbadin Naib was an important match player and his return has given momentum to our team. We are also happy to have Naveen-ul-Haq back, which has improved the quality of our fast bowling,” Shah Sulimankhir added.

“It was a difficult decision to leave AM Ghazanfar out of the main squad as his place was given to Mujeeb. Shahidullah Kamal has performed well in recent games and provides us with a valuable left-hand option which will be crucial in big matches.”

Also read: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma 2026: India’s full cricket schedule revealed