DUBAI (Web Desk) - Rashid Khan will lead an experienced 15-man Afghanistan squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, the ACB announced on Tuesday. Of the 15 players, eight are currently involved in the IPL.
The squad has only four batters - wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, and back-up keeper Mohammad Ishaq, but the presence of six all-rounders makes up for it. Alongside Rashid, the other all-rounders in the Afghanistan squad are Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat and Nangeyalia Kharote.
This will be the first time that Noor, Janat and, Ishaq - who featured in the last two men's U-19 World Cups - will play at the T20 World Cup. Hashmatullah Shahidi, who captained Afghanistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup, was not selected.
There was no place for left-hand opener Hazratullah Zazai in the main squad. He is one of three travelling reserves to the USA and the Caribbean, alongside Sediqullah Atal and Mohammad Saleem.
Afghanistan are in Group C in the 20-team tournament, with two other Test teams, New Zealand and co-hosts West Indies, in their group. Uganda, their first opponents on June 3, and Papua New Guinea are the other two teams in Group C.