Afghanistan’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026 announced:Rashid Khan to lead; Gulbadin Naib included, Naveen Ul Haq returns from injury

Afghanistan’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 has been announced by the ACB (Afghanistan Cricket Board) on 31 December. Rashid Khan will captain the 15-member squad in the mega tournament, which is to be played in India and Sri Lanka starting on 7 February. The same 15-member squad will represent Afghanistan in the upcoming three-match T20I series against West Indies. The Afghanistan vs West Indies T20I series will start on 19 January and will be played in Sharjah, UAE. Afghanistan’s schedule at T20 World Cup 2026 Afghanistan have been placed in Group D in the T20 World Cup 2026 alongside New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and the UAE (United Arab Emirates). The Rashid Khan-led side will start their campaign at the T20 World Cup 2026 against New Zealand on 8 February in Chennai. Afghanistan had reached the semi-final of the last T20 World Cup in 2024 where they were beaten by eventual runners-up South Africa. Also read: England’s provisional squad for T20 World Cup 2026 announced:Jofra Archer returns despite injury; Liam Livingstone and Jamie Smith dropped Gulbadin Naib and Fazalhaq Farooqi return to Afghanistan squad
Fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi and all-rounder Gulbadin Naib have returned to the Afghanistan squad. Both players were not part of the T20I series against Bangladesh. Their return is indeed a massive boost for Afghanistan. Additionally, Mujeeb Ur Rahman has also found a place in the squad. Fit-again Naveen Ul Haq included in Afghanistan squad, Allah Ghazanfar in reserves Naveen Ul Haq, on the other hand, has returned to the squad after recovering from a shoulder injury. The right-arm pacer had missed the Asia Cup 2025 tournament earlier on. Due to the selection of off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, young mystery spinner Allah Ghazanfar has been placed in the reserve players. Ijaz Ahmadzai and Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi are also included in the reserve list with him. Afghanistan’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026 and West Indies T20I series: Rashid Khan (C), 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 Also read: Defining year for Indian cricket and chess:From RCB’s IPL title, Divya Deshmukh’s WC glory; Why 2025 was ‘year of firsts for sports’ Afghanistan’s sensational performance at T20 World Cup 2024 Afghanistan had surprised one and all with an impressive performance at the T20 World Cup 2024, reaching the semi-finals for the very first time. The side led by Rashid Khan had defeated strong teams like Australia, New Zealand, West Indies and Bangladesh. Afghanistan’s team combination to be determined in T20Is vs West Indies
ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said that Afghanistan’s team combination at the T20 World Cup 2026 will be determined in the T20I against the West Indies. “AfghanAtalan 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. Hosting the West Indies team provides us with an incredible opportunity to fine-tune our combination and prepare adequately for the World Cup,” he said.