Afghanistan announce squad for Champions Trophy

Afghanistan is ready to create history with their debut in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced a strong 15-member squad for the tournament, led by Hashmatullah Shahidi.

The team aims to build on their remarkable performances from the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup and the T20 World Cup semifinals last year. A major highlight is the return of opener Ibrahim Zadran, who will partner with Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The middle order, anchored by Shahidi and Rahmat Shah, promises stability.

Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Fazalhaq Farooqi lead the attack on the bowling front. However, Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman is absent due to medical advice. Interim chief selector Ahmad Suliman Khil explained, “Mujeeb has been advised to focus on T20s for a while to ensure full recovery before returning to ODIs.”

Three reserves—Darwish Rasooli, Nangyal Kharoti, and Bilal Sami—have been named to support the squad.

Afghanistan, placed in Group B, faces challenging matches in the group stage:

• February 21: Against South Africa in Karachi
• February 26: Against England in Lahore
• February 28: Against Australia in Lahore

The squad is eager to showcase their growing stature in international cricket and make their mark on the global stage.

Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran.

Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Nangyal Kharoti, Bilal Sami.

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