The selection committee has reinstated Fazalhaq Farooqi and Gulbadin Naib to the squad after their omission from the team for the Bangladesh series in October.
Pace bowler Naveen-ul-Haq, who last featured in a T20 against Zimbabwe in December 2024, is also back after recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined him during the Asia Cup in September.
Mystery spinner A.M. Ghazanfar was placed on reserve, as Afghanistan opted for the more experienced slow bowler Mujeeb Ur Rahman for the tournament starting on February 7.
“Afghanistan had an outstanding performance in the last T20 World Cup,” said Naseeb Khan, the CEO of the national cricket board. “We hold cherished memories from the past and are optimistic for even greater results this year in Asian conditions.″
Afghanistan made it to the semi-finals of the previous T20 World Cup in 2024, held in the Caribbean and the U.S., by defeating highly-ranked teams like New Zealand, Australia, West Indies, and Bangladesh.
Khan’s squad will engage in a three-match T20 series against the West Indies from January 19-22 as part of their preparations.
Afghanistan is placed in Group D alongside New Zealand, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and Canada. They will kick off their campaign against the Kiwis on February 8 in Chennai.
Squad:
Rashid Khan (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Ishaq, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai.
(With AP inputs)
First Published: Dec 31, 2025 7:15 PM IST
