Left-handed batsman Hashmatullah Shahidi was selected captain of the Afghanistan team on Tuesday. The team will play a one-off Test match and three One-Day Internationals against India from June 6 to June 20.
The Test team is made up of a mix of seasoned players and up-and-coming talent, with Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Azmatullah Omarzai making up the backbone of the batting group, while the ODI squad includes elite players like Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Ibrahim Zadran.
The spin department will rely on Sharafudin Ashraf and Qais Ahmad, while wicketkeepers Afsar Zazai and Ikram Alikhil have also been added. The pace department will be led by Bilal Sami, Zia Sharifi, and Saleem Safi.
It’s interesting to note that Afghanistan has chosen a slightly different ODI lineup, bringing back seasoned players Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi for the tour’s white-ball phase.
Allah Ghazanfar and Bilal Sami provide depth to the bowling attack, while young opener Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, and Darwish Rasooli support the batting line. Ghazanfar, a young spinner, received recognition for his IPL achievements. For the Mumbai Indians, he took 15 wickets in 11 games.
Before starting a three-match ODI series, Afghanistan will play a single Test match at New Chandigarh from June 6–10. The first ODI will take place in Dharamsala on June 14, the second in Lucknow on June 17, and the third in Chennai on June 20.
Squad for one-off Test: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmanullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafudin Ashraf, Nangyal Kharotai, Qais Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Zia Sharifi, Saleem Safi
Reserve Pool: Bashir Ahmad, Bahir Shah, Ismat Alam
Squad for the ODI series: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (WK), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharotai, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Malik, Bilal Sami
Reserve Pool: Qais Ahmad, Saleem Safi, Bashir Ahmad
