Afghanistan announce squad for India series

The Afghanistan Cricket Board's (ACB) national selection committee has finalised Afghanistan's squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against India scheduled to be held from September 13 to 17, 2026, at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi. Ibrahim Zadran will lead the side in the series, which will mark his first assignment as Afghanistan’s full-time T20I captain. A major development in the squad is the return of fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq, who comes back to the national setup after recovering from injury. Naveen was previously ruled out of Afghanistan’s T20I series against the West Indies and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 due to a stress fracture in his right shoulder. His return provides an important boost to Afghanistan’s pace attack. He will join Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai in the fast-bowling department, giving Afghanistan a strong combination of pace, experience and variety. Experienced all-rounder Gulbadin Naib returns to the squad to add more depth to the middle order and can also provide an extra bowling option. His ability to adapt to different match situations and conditions, along with his past performances against India, will further strengthen Afghanistan’s batting and all-round options. Uncapped wicket-keeper batsman Noor Rahman has also been included in the squad as the second wicket-keeper, earning the opportunity following impressive performances in domestic cricket and the Shpageeza Cricket League. He has been part of Afghanistan’s development pathway and has continued to impress with his performances at domestic and A-team level. The squad also features an experienced spin-bowling group consisting of Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Nangyal Kharoti, while senior all-rounder Mohammad Nabi provides additional experience and balance to the side. The ACB Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan said: “ACB have always made every effort to select a well-balanced and fully prepared squad for all relevant competitions. We have followed the same approach for the upcoming series against India and I hope Afghanistan will deliver an outstanding performance in these matches.” “It is a great pride that Afghanistan is hosting a major cricketing nation for the first time. This reflects the progress Afghan cricket has made toward achieving its major objectives and shows that we are steadily advancing toward the strategic goals identified by the organization.”   Afghanistan will travel to India soon for training and final preparations before the event officially kicks off in New Delhi. Squad:  Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Noor Rahman (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Naveen-ul-Haq. Reserves: Ijaz Ahmadzai, Shahidullah Kamal, Fareed Ahmad Malik