Afghanistan has recently announced its 15-member squad for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7. Rashid Khan will lead the side in the marquee event. Veteran Gulbadin Naib and Naveen-ul-Haq return to the squad, strengthening experience and bowling options. Mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman is also making his return to the squad.
Afghanistan is placed in Group D of the upcoming T20 WC, alongside New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and the UAE. They will start their campaign against New Zealand on February 8 in Chennai.
Will Afghanistan improve on their 2024 outing, or will they fall short?
Afghanistan had its best-ever T20 World Cup run in 2024, reaching the semi-finals for the first time in an ICC tournament. During their campaign, they beat top sides like New Zealand and Australia in crucial matches. Can Rashid Khan’s team improve from their last T20 WC performance or fall below it in 2026? That is a big question. Is it a team that can reach the semi-final or final? Well, it depends on how they perform against big teams like India, Australia, and South Africa under pressure.
It’s realistic for Rashid’s team to match or slightly better their 2024 performance, but surpassing it would be a stretch without any breakthrough in batting depth and consistency. A repeat semi-final appearance, or at least another deep run in the Super 8s, is the most probable outcome for them, given the experience of Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Gulbadin Naib in the team and the conditions most likely to suit them.
As the tournament is being played in India and Sri Lanka, the conditions might favour their spin and seam bowling arsenal. They had a quality bowling lineup featuring Noor Ahmad, Rashid, Mujeeb, Gulbadin, and others. Making it into the semi-finals or finals will require sharper batting and consistency in this edition, especially under pressure.
Preparation through the West Indies T20I series
The same squad will also play in the three-match T20I series against the West Indies in the UAE as part of their build-up, starting from January 19. A competitive pre-World Cup T20I series against the West Indies in the UAE will give them match practice in similar conditions to the main event.
Here’s the squad:
Rashid Khan (C), Noor Ahmad, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Sediqullah Atal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Naveen Ul Haq, Mohammad Ishaq, Shahidullah Kamal, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Darwish Rasooli, and Ibrahim Zadran.
Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai, and Ziaur Rahman Sharifi.
