Sport
Rashid Khan to lead Afghanistan squad in Asia Cup
The team blends seasoned campaigners with emerging talents, aiming to make an impact in the tournament that begins on September 9 with a clash against Hong Kong and China.
Afghanistan have unveiled a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE, with star spinner Rashid Khan set to lead the side once again.
The team blends seasoned campaigners with emerging talents, aiming to make an impact in the tournament that begins on September 9 with a clash against Hong Kong and China.
Rashid, who captained Afghanistan to a memorable T20 World Cup 2024 campaign — including victories over New Zealand and Australia before bowing out in the semi-finals — will continue to be the driving force of the team.
Rashid Khan, who was selected for the ICC T20I Men’s Team of the Year 2024, will continue to lead Afghanistan in the Asia Cup. His leadership will be crucial for a squad blending experienced campaigners like Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, and Gulbadin Naib with explosive top-order batsmen Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran.
Rashid’s spin attack will be complemented by Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Sharafuddin Ashraf, and Allah Ghazanfar, giving Afghanistan one of the most potent and varied bowling line-ups in the competition.
Returning players Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi will bolster the pace attack, while Ghazanfar strengthens the spin department after recovering from injury.
Young talents like Sediqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai, who have impressed in domestic T20s, add depth and fresh energy to the squad.
Before the Asia Cup kicks off, Afghanistan will participate in a T20I tri-series against the UAE and Pakistan starting August 29.
This will be the team’s first T20I action since December 2024, giving Rashid and his players a vital chance to fine-tune combinations and strategies ahead of the tournament.
All of Afghanistan’s Asia Cup group matches will be played in Abu Dhabi, where the team will look to combine experience, spin wizardry, and explosive batting to challenge some of Asia’s top sides.
Afghanistan Asia Cup squad:
Rashid Khan (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Allah Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Farid Malik, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Abu Muslim Farah defeated Khurasan Faryab 2-0 in the 25th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan.
The match was played on Saturday at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium in Kabul.
Both teams pushed for an opening goal in the first half, but neither side managed to find the net, and the teams went into the break goalless.
Just two minutes into the second half, Abu Muslim Farah broke the deadlock to take a 1-0 lead.
Alireza Panahi later doubled Abu Muslim Farah’s advantage, sealing a 2-0 victory for the Farah side.
Abu Muslim Farah committed 13 fouls and received two yellow cards, while Khorasan Faryab committed seven fouls and received one yellow card.
Matches from the sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League are being broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television.
Omar Zawak Herat secured a 1-0 victory over Toofan Herat in the 24th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul.
The match was played on Saturday at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium.
Both sides created scoring opportunities in the first half, but neither team managed to find the net before the break.
Omar Zawak Herat broke the deadlock in the 86th minute when Shadab Malikzadah scored with a fine strike to give his side the lead.
Toofan Herat committed eight fouls and received two yellow cards, while Omar Zawak Herat recorded six fouls and received one yellow card and one red card.
Toofan Herat will face Aino Mina Kandahar on September 29, while Omar Zawak Herat will take on Abu Muslim Farah on September 30.
Matches from the sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League are being broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Afghanistan are set to face India in the Asian Games cricket quarter-finals after Saturday’s rain-hit match between Nepal and Japan confirmed the Pool A standings.
The quarter-final between India and Afghanistan is scheduled to take place on September 28 in Nisshin, Japan.
Nepal secured first place in the group after Japan’s chase was washed out. Nepal had scored 149 runs for four wickets in 15 overs after being sent in to bat, but persistent rain prevented Japan from starting its innings.
The result saw Nepal advance as Pool A winners, with Afghanistan joining them in the quarter-finals as the other qualifying team. Nepal will face Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals.
Japan have been eliminated from the tournament.
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