Afghanistan have named their 15-man squad for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, with star leg-spinner Rashid Khan named as the captain.
The same team will also feature in the three-match T20I series against the West Indies in the UAE as part of their build-up to the mega event.
The squad includes left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqui, off-spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman, all-rounder Gulbadin Naib and right-arm pacer Naveen-ul-Haq.
Farooqui and Naib, who were dropped from Bangladesh’s white-ball tour of Afghanistan in October, were recalled ahead of the World Cup.
Mujeeb’s return places young mystery spinner AM Ghasanfar along with Ijaz Ahmadzai and Zia ur Rahman Sharifi.
Meanwhile, Naveen was ruled out of the Asia Cup in September due to a shoulder injury. He last played for Afghanistan in a T20I against Zimbabwe in December 2024.
Afghanistan enjoyed a historic campaign in the previous T20 World Cup in 2024, reaching the semi-finals for the first time in an ICC tournament.
During the tournament, they recorded memorable victories against top-ranked teams including New Zealand, West Indies, Australia and Bangladesh.
Reflecting on the team’s prospects, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Naseeb Khan said the team is keen to build on past successes.
“Afghan Atalan had a great run in the previous edition of the T20 World Cup. We cherish those memories and hope for even better results this year, especially in matches played in Asian conditions,” Naseeb said.
Hosting the West Indies gives our teams a great opportunity to fully prepare for the World Cup and perform well.
Afghanistan’s T20I series against West Indies will be held from January 19 to 22. In the T20 World Cup, they were drawn in Group T20 along with New Zealand, South Africa, UAE and Canada.
Afghanistan begin their campaign against New Zealand on February 8 in Chennai.
Afghanistan Squad for West Indies Series and T20 World Cup 2026:
Rashid Khan (captain), Ibrahim Sadran (vice-captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Siddullah Atal, Darweesh Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Asmatullah Umarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Noor-Ur Ahmad, Nawul Ahmad, F. Faruqi and Abdullah Ahmadzai.
Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai and Zia ur Rahman Sharifi.