Afghanistan announced their squads for the upcoming one-off test and three-match ODI series. Indiawith several experienced campaigners returning to the restructure. Test team led by him Hashemtullah Shahidiincludes a spicy batter comeback Rehmat Shah and an all-around star Azmatullah Omarzai For the red ball competition scheduled to be played at New Chandigarh from June 6 to 10.
Voters have also shown confidence in the young senior batter Sediqullah Atalhe continues to emerge as one of Afghanistan’s promising batting talents across all formats.
Rehmat Shah’s return adds experience to the batting line-up
One of the most talked about moments from the squad announcement is Rahmat’s return to the Test side. The veteran batsman has been a crucial figure in Afghanistan’s journey in Test cricket, featuring in 11 of the country’s 12 Tests so far. He was out of Afghanistan’s most recent one-off Test against Zimbabwe last year, but his inclusion in the Indian challenge brings stability and valuable experience to the middle order.
Atal and Omarzai, meanwhile, are still relatively new to the longest format. Both players have just one Test appearance to their names, having made their debut against Zimbabwe in 2024. Despite the limited experience, the team management seems interested in investing in their long-term development.
Rashid Khan did not participate in the test squad again
Star spinner Rashid Khan Afghanistan continues to be out of reach for Test cricket as he takes a cautious approach to managing his fitness and workload. Head coach Richard Pybus Rashid recently revealed that he should prioritize his long-term health after battling injury concerns in recent months.
In Rashid’s absence, Afghanistan are expected to rely heavily on leg-spinner Qais Ahmed to lead the spin attack. Left arm rotation options Sharafuddin Ashraf and Nangeyalia Kharote It has also been included to strengthen the bowling department in Indian conditions. A tempo attack will be demonstrated for the test Bilal Sami, Zia Sharif and Salim Safiand the responsibilities of keeping the cover are expected to be shared between them Officer Zazai and Ikram Alikhil.
Test Staff: Hashemtullah Shahidi (c), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmanullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai (hk), Ikram Alikhil (hk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangyaliya Kharotai, Qais, Bilal Sami, Sarif Shami, Ziyala
Reserves: Bashir Ahmed, Bashir Shah, Ismet Alam
The ODI squad retains a familiar core ahead of the Dharamsala series
For the three-match series starting June 14 in Dharamsala, Afghanistan’s ODI team looks like the side that performed strongly against Bangladesh last year. The batting line-up will once again rotate around Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim ZadranRehmat and Atal.
Rashid returns to the ODI set-up and will spearhead Afghanistan’s spin resources Nangeyalia Kharote and AM Ghazanfar. Veteran all-rounder Muhammad Nabi and Omarzai is expected to play an important role with both bat and ball. One notable addition to the ODI squad is the left-arm seamer Farid MalikHe returns to the format in 2024 after his last ODI appearance.
With a mix of experienced names and new talent, Afghanistan will aim to challenge India strongly in both formats in what promises to be an important tour for the fast-growing side.
ODI squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Ziaeuredih, Bilaeuredih
Reserves: Qays Ahmed, Salim Safi, Bashir Ahmed
