Ibrahim Zadran has been appointed captain of Afghanistan's T20I squad for the upcoming three-match series against India, which will be played in New Delhi. The squad sees the return of fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq and all-rounder Gulbadin Naib, featuring a blend of experienced players like Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, alongside uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Noor Rahman.
Afghanistan will begin their World Cup campaign against New Zealand on February 8 in Chennai.
Gulbadin Naib dramatically falling on his back, clutching his hamstring after Afghanistan Coach Jonathan Trott signalled to his players to slow things down in the rain-hit Super 8 match against Bangladesh caused both amusement and annoyance as former players questioned the genuineness of Gulbadin's discomfort.
India is grappling with significant selection dilemmas ahead of their opening T20I match against Afghanistan, particularly concerning the choice between Sanju Samson and young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and the potential impact of Ishan Kishan's injury scare. The series also serves as crucial preparation for the Asian Games, with India needing to finalise their bowling attack against a strong Afghan side.
Abhishek Sharma roared back to form with a blistering 84 off 32 balls, while Arshdeep Singh's superb 3 for 19 helped India cruise to a seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the opening T20I in Delhi on Sunday.
Sony Sports Network has secured exclusive television broadcast rights for the upcoming three-match T20I series between India and Afghanistan, scheduled from September 13 to 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The series will feature India led by Shreyas Iyer and Afghanistan led by Ibrahim Zadran, with both teams showcasing aggressive T20 cricket. This acquisition strengthens Sony's sports portfolio and offers a platform for Afghanistan to demonstrate its talent against a top-tier team.
Afghanistan national cricket team players visited injured civilians in Kabul hospitals after deadly airstrikes, as calls grow for an international investigation.
India, having already secured the T20 series against Afghanistan, is likely to experiment with its playing XI in the third and final match in New Delhi. This provides an opportunity for players like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and others on the bench to get game time before the Asian Games, while Afghanistan aims for an improved performance to boost morale.
Former India cricketer Vivek Razdan has shared his preferred batting lineup for India's first T20I against Afghanistan, advocating for Shreyas Iyer to retain his number four spot and Sanju Samson to open the innings. Razdan emphasized performance over the left-right batting combination, highlighting Samson's recent T20 form. The series opener will also see a selection dilemma with multiple openers available and marks Iyer's first home series as captain.
The situation raises the question: could Naib face a ban for potentially faking an injury?
India is set to face Afghanistan in the second T20I, aiming to clinch the series despite ongoing concerns about a reliable fifth bowling option in the absence of Hardik Pandya. The team delivered a dominant performance in the first match, securing a seven-wicket victory.
Naib joins the Capitals for his base price of Rs 50 lakh.
Sanju Samson smashed a quick 57 as India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board hosted 'Koh-E-Zafar' in New Delhi to celebrate the strong cricketing friendship between India and Afghanistan.
'The killing of players and civilians is not honour -- it is the deepest disgrace. Long live Afghanistan.' Afghan Cricketers Unite Behind ACB After Fatal Airstrike.
Afghanistan faces a must-win situation against South Africa in their Group D match of the T20 World Cup after a defeat to New Zealand. South Africa, with a strong win over Canada, leads the group. The match is crucial for Afghanistan's chances of advancing to the Super Eight stage.
Afghanistan and Canada, already out of contention, are set to clash in their final T20 World Cup match, both eager to secure a morale-boosting victory.
"India are the best team in Asia and in the world": Afghanistan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib
Tim Seifert struck a quickfire 65 to help New Zealand chase down 183 in just 17.5 overs and outplay Afghanistan by 5 wickets in their T20 opener in Chennai on Sunday.
Former Afghanistan U-19 cricketer Dawood Ahmadzai overcame hardship, exile and years of struggle to become France's leading T20I wicket-taker, with his sights now set on helping the country qualify for a historic Cricket World Cup.
Naib, who is a travelling reserve, was named as a replacement after Zazai was ruled out due to an abdominal muscle strain.
UAE will look to shore up their middle-order batting against spin as they face Afghanistan in a crucial T20 World Cup Group D match. Both teams need a win to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Marsh saw the funny side of Afghanistan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib's theatrical complaining of cramps
Afghanistan remain rooted to the bottom of the points table after six defeats in as many matches in their second World Cup appearance.
Gulbadin Naib, who had captained the Afghanistan team at the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, posted a strongly worded tweet against the national cricket board and teammates.
The match between Australia and England was abandoned due to rain.
Ibrahim Zadran takes over the reins from Rashid Khan after Afghanistan's early ouster from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
'Asia Cup in these conditions, we saw them in the Champions Trophy here 50 over. It would be foolish not to say they are one of the favourites.'
Azmatullah Omarzai delivered a match-winning all-round performance, taking four wickets and scoring an unbeaten 40, to lead Afghanistan to a five-wicket victory over UAE in the T20 World Cup.
Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Noor Ahmad will join Rashid and Nabi in Afghanistan's formidable spin attack, which is likely to be key to their performance in the 20-team tournament.
Afghanistan started off their Asia Cup campaign with a massive win by 94 runs over Hong Kong in their Group B clash at Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, September 9.
Afghanistan on Sunday unveiled a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, scheduled from September 9 to 28 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board said the final 15-member squad will be announced at the end of a week-long preparatory camp in Greater Noida.
Pakistan's Federal Minister for Information Ata Tarar has dismissed the International Cricket Council's statement on the deaths of three cricketers in Afghanistan, terming it "selective" and "biased".
Afghanistan, third in Group One with two points and trailing Australia on net run rate, have a shot at finishing in the top two and making the semis if they beat bottom side Bangladesh on Monday when Australia play leaders India, who have four points.
New Zealand aims to regain their form against a formidable Afghanistan in their opening Group D match of the ICC T20 World Cup. Key players and strategies are under scrutiny as both teams seek a strong start in the tournament.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran shared an opening stand of 118 to drive Afghanistan to a stunning 21-run win over Australia.
Ibrahim Zadran's unbeaten 95 and Mohammad Nabi's four-wicket haul steered Afghanistan to an 82-run win over Canada in their final T20 World Cup match in Chennai, finishing on a high despite both teams being eliminated.
Having lost against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh face a must-win against Afghanistan to keep their Super 4s hopes alive.
