Asia Cup: Rashid Khan to lead spin-heavy Afghanistan squad as Ghazanfar returns

Rashid Khan will lead a spin-dominant Afghanistan squad at the 2025 Men's T20 Asia Cup, set to be held in the United Arab Emirates from 9 to 28 September 2025. The 17-member squad, announced by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Sunday (August 24), sees the return of mystery spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and experienced campaigner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, both of whom missed the Champions Trophy earlier this year.

The spin arsenal will be spearheaded by Rashid himself, with support from veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, off-spinner Mujeeb, and the 17-year-old Ghazanfar. Together, they form one of the most formidable spin attacks in the tournament.

Afghanistan, who were the second-best-performing Asian side at the last Men's T20 World Cup behind champions India, come into the Asia Cup with limited recent T20I experience. They've played only three T20Is in the past 12 months - a December 2024 series against Zimbabwe in Harare, which they won 2-1.

Several changes have been made since that Zimbabwe tour. Top-order batter Hazratullah Zazai and batting allrounder Zubaid Akbari have been left out, while left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote has been named among the reserves. Returning to the fold are opener Ibrahim Zadran, allrounder Sharafuddin Ashraf, and Ghazanfar, who adds variety with his mystery spin.

Darwish Rasooli and Sediqullah Atal will anchor the batting unit, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Mohammad Ishaq are the designated wicketkeeper-batters. The allrounder core remains settled, with Nabi joined by Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, and Gulbadin Naib.

The pace attack will be led by left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi, with support from Naveen-ul-Haq and Fareed Ahmad Malik. Naveen, who stepped away from ODIs, could feature in his first T20I of 2025 if picked in the playing XI.

The squad also includes three travelling reserves: Wafiullah Tarakhail, Nangeyalia Kharote, and Abdullah Ahmadzai. Before the Asia Cup begins, Afghanistan will also participate in a tri-series featuring Pakistan and the UAE - a preparatory tournament featuring most of the Asia Cup squad.

Afghanistan will begin their Asia Cup campaign in the tournament opener against Hong Kong on September 9 in Abu Dhabi. They are placed in Group B alongside Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong. Group A features India, Pakistan, the UAE, and Oman.

Afghanistan Squad for Men's T20 Asia Cup 2025:

Rashid Khan (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Travelling Reserves: Wafiullah Tarakhil, Nangeyalia Kharote, Abdullah Ahmadzai