Rahmat Shah has been appointed as the new Test and ODI captain for the Afghanistan national cricket team, replacing Hashmatullah Shahidi. Shah, who previously served as vice-captain, will lead the team alongside Rahmanullah Gurbaz as vice-captain, starting with the upcoming series against Ireland. Shahidi's tenure saw significant victories and milestones for Afghan cricket, including strong performances in the 2023 World Cup.
Manav Suthar made a sensational Test debut, claiming a six-wicket haul against Afghanistan in the first innings before Washington Sundar took four wickets in their 2nd innings, as India outplayed Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs on day 3 of the one-off Test.
Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead Afghanistan in the upcoming Test and ODI tour of India, while IPL star Allah Ghazanfar earns a call-up after his impressive season with Mumbai Indians.
Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar's brilliantly accurate effort to put Afghanistan batters under pressure makes the debutant a "strong contender" for a consistent place in India's Test team in future, reckoned legendary Sunil Gavaskar.
Skipper Shubman Gill battled the oppressive heat and cramps to produce a magnificent 154 while Ishan Kishan ended a three-year wait for an ODI hundred as India beat Afghanistan by 170 runs in the second ODI to take 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-match series, in Lucknow on Wednesday.
Rahmat Shah registered a Test record score for an Afghanistan cricketer with an unbeaten double century
Manav Suthar took 7 wickets as India recorded their biggest Test victory with an innings and 300 runs against Afghanistan in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, on Monday.
Indian Pacer Prasidh Krishna took a career-best 5/23 to restrict Afghanistan to 218 in the third ODI, despite a valiant maiden century from skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi
Manav Suthar starred on Test debut with figures of 6 for 33 as India bowled out Afghanistan for 152 and enforced the follow-on. The Rajasthan spinner registered the second-best bowling figures by an Indian on Test debut.
India begin their 2026 Test season against Afghanistan with several selection questions to answer, including the No. 3 spot and Ravindra Jadeja's long-term successor, as they build towards key World Test Championship assignments.
Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar excelling on his Test debut is a testament to the robust structure that BCCI has created for talent identification, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on Monday after the home team trounced Afghanistan inside three days in Mullanpur.
Harshit Rana returns to the Indian after regaining fitness even as Yashasvi Jaiswal will have to prove his ODI credibility as India look to sweep series against Afghanistan.
Pacer Gurnoor Brar impressed on his international debut before captain Shubman Gill played a regal knock to set up India's seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the rain-hit series opener.
Ibrahim Zadran takes over the reins from Rashid Khan after Afghanistan's early ouster from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
Rahmat Shah became the first cricketer from Afghanistan to score a century in Test cricket, during the one-off Test against Bangladesh, in Chattogram on Thursday.
The first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections was disrupted by EVM glitches and overnight violence in several districts. Polling was halted or delayed at multiple booths due to malfunctioning Electronic Voting Machines. Incidents of violence were reported in Murshidabad and Cooch Behar, with political parties trading accusations.
Afghanistan star spinner Rashid Khan made history, becoming the first-ever bowler from his team to complete 200 ODI wickets.
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.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday sacked six government employees, including five policemen, for their 'deep involvement in anti-national activities', officials said.
'We could have pushed harder at certain stages of our innings, but everyone chipped in to make sure we had competitive total.'
Afghanistan amassed their highest score of 699 on Monday before the first Test against Zimbabwe ended in a draw at the end of the final day at the Queens Sports Club.
Middle-order batter Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead the side.
While wickets fell all around him with fellow opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, as well as Sediqullah Atal and Rahmat Shah all back in the hut inside the first ten overs, Gurbaz kept his cool.
Afghanistan may be faced with some off-field distractions in Pakistan with Group B rivals England and South Africa being urged to boycott their matches.
Shah, the leading run-scorer for Afghanistan in Tests and ODIs, wanted to give the Kiwis, the inaugural WTC champions, a tough time.
Teenage Afghanistan off-spinner AM Ghazanfar has been ruled out of both the ICC Champions Trophy and the IPL due to a lower back fracture.
South Africa bounced back from two heavy defeats to beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the third and final One-Day International in Sharjah on Sunday.
Afghanistan registered their first Test victory after Rahmat Shah's second fifty of the match helped secure their seven-wicket win against Ireland in a one-off contest in Dehradun on Monday.
Defeat will severely dent both the teams' dreams of a semi-final berth in the tournament, as South Africa and Australia have already notched two points.
Australia's historic pedigree in cricket's biggest tournaments will count for nothing when they run into an Afghanistan side that is fast cementing its place in the game's top table in the Champions Trophy match in Lahore on Friday.
Joe Root's century in vain as England were shown the door.
Afghanistan won the second ODI by 177 runs to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series in Sharjah.
Three days after stunning defending champions England in New Zealand, the plucky Afghans briefly kindled hopes of another upset when New Zealand's top order suffered a mini-collapse.
Debutants Afghanistan will aim to continue their impressive rise in white-ball cricket, while South Africa will once again attempt to shed the 'chokers' tag when the two sides kick-off their Champions Trophy campaign in Karachi on Friday.
Chasing 147 for victory, Afghanistan were 29 for one with Ihsanullah Janat batting on 16 and Rahmat Shah unbeaten on 11 at the close of play.
A flawless maiden hundred from opener Ryan Rickelton helped South Africa crush Afghanistan by 107 runs.
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.
PHOTOS from a memorable chase and a famous win...
South Africa will look to fix their chasing troubles before the semifinals while Afghanistan will back themselves to beat another top team
Australia will be without their premier pacers but their envious pedigree in ICC tournaments make them favourites to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy from Group B.
