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The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has named a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20 international series against India, to be held from September 13 to 17 at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi.

Ibrahim Zadran will lead Afghanistan as captain, marking his first assignment as the team’s permanent T20I skipper, according to the ACB website.

Fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq returns to the national squad after recovering from a stress fracture in his right shoulder, an injury that had ruled him out of Afghanistan’s recent T20I series against the West Indies and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. His return bolsters Afghanistan’s pace attack alongside Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai.

Experienced all-rounder Gulbadin Naib has also been recalled to add depth to the middle order and provide an additional bowling option. Uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Noor Rahman has received his first selection after solid performances in domestic cricket, having been part of Afghanistan’s development pathway and A-team setup.

The squad’s spin bowling department is led by Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Nangyal Kharoti, with veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi providing further experience and balance.

ACB Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan said the board had prioritized selecting a balanced and well-prepared squad for the series. He expressed hope that Afghanistan would deliver a strong performance against the visitors.

“The Afghanistan Cricket Board has always made every effort to select a well-balanced and fully prepared squad for all relevant competitions. We have followed the same approach for the upcoming series against India, and I hope the Afghanistan team will deliver an outstanding performance in these matches,” he said, as quoted by the ACB website.

“It is a great pride that Afghanistan is hosting a major cricketing nation for the first time. This reflects the progress Afghan cricket has made toward achieving its major objectives and shows that we are steadily advancing toward the strategic goals identified by the organization,” he added.

The Afghanistan team will travel to India ahead of the series for training and final preparations.

The squad for the three-match T20I series against India consists of Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Noor Rahman (wicketkeeper), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Naveen-ul-Haq.

Ijaz Ahmadzai, Shahidullah Kamal and Fareed Ahmad Malik have been named as reserve players for the series.