Afghanistan spinners Ahmad, Rahman reprimanded for breaching ICC Code of Conduct
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians have signed up Afghanistan off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman as a replacement for Allah Ghazanfar, who has been ruled out of IPL 2025 due to an injury.
Afghan batter Zazai named replacement
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.
Afghanistan will begin their World Cup campaign against New Zealand on February 8 in Chennai.
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.
'If you look at their squad, with Cameron Green coming in, they have their biggest headache sorted. The middle muddle is sorted. They will have to sort out their bowling.'
Afghanistan unit will be heading into the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka with hopes of replicating their historic performance during the 2024 edition
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.
Ibrahim Zadran takes over the reins from Rashid Khan after Afghanistan's early ouster from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
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.
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.
Afghanistan coach Trott fumes over poor outfield at HPCA stadium.
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.
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.
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.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, at just 15 years and 91 days, has become the youngest player to represent India in international cricket, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's 37-year-old record. He also set a new benchmark as the youngest T20I debutant from a Full Member nation, making his debut against Ireland in Belfast.
Teams like India do not offer too many chances and Afghanistan must learn to capitalise on the opportunities that come their way, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said.
'This measure aims to manage workload and ensure peak performance for national duties.'
Ibrahim Zadran and Darwish Rasooli slammed half-centuries as Afghanistan outclassed West Indies by 38 runs in the first T20 International in Dubai on Monday.
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 unlikely to give NOCs for Mujeeb, Naveen and Farooqi, putting IPL participation in doubt
Injury and poor form made it a forgettable IPL for Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman but the time away from the field was well spent as he picked on Kings XI Punjab captain Ravichandran Ashwin's brains ahead of the World Cup in England.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan said his SA20 experience will help guide young teammates against South Africa in their T20 World Cup match in Ahmedabad.
Middle-order batter Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead the side.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest player to feature in the IPL as he turned out for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur.
The franchises spent a total of Rs 204.45 crore on 77 players, to complete their squads for IPL 2026. However some big names went shockingly unsold...
Dasun Shanaka produced a solid all-round performance, which included bowling figures of 4 for 23, as former champions Sri Lanka overcame some jittery moments to down Ireland by 41 runs in their T20 World Cup warm-up game in Lauderhill (USA) on Friday.
Premier leg-spinner Rashid Khan was on Saturday picked in a 19-member Afghanistan squad, to be led by young Ibrahim Zadran, for the three T20 Internationals against India starting on January 11 in Mohali.
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.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) demonstrated their strength in chasing big totals in the ongoing IPL 2026 season with a victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS).
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.
The first Super 4 game in the Asia Cup will be played between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan at the Sharjah cricket stadium starting 1930 IST.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav on Wednesday climbed five places to seventh in the ICC men's T20I rankings
Afghanistan restricted United Arab Emirates to 160 for nine in their T20 World Cup match, with Azmatullah Omarzai claiming four wickets and Sohaib Khan scoring a half-century for UAE.
New Zealand aims to solidify their Group D lead with a victory against the United Arab Emirates in their T20 World Cup match, following a win against Afghanistan. The Kiwis will look for strong performances from Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra, while the UAE seeks to gain experience against a top team.
Afghanistan mystery spinner Mujeeb Zadran says tricks of the trade learnt from Ravichandran Ashwin in this season's Indian Premier League will come in handy during his team's inaugural Test against India, starting in Bengaluru from Thursday.
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.
