Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead Afghanistan as the captain for both the one-off Test match and the three-match ODI series against India in June 2026. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) officially announced the squads today, locking in their lineups for the highly anticipated tour. Star leg-spinner Rashid Khan has been left out of the Test squad on medical advice to manage his bowling workload. However, he returns alongside veteran Mohammad Nabi to strengthen the ODI unit. Opening batter Ibrahim Zadran is recovering from a leg injury and will sit out the red-ball match, but he is included for the ODI series. Uncapped players Nangyal Kharoti, Bilal Sami, and Rahmanullah Zadran have earned their maiden Test selections.

Hashmatullah Shahidi and vice-captain Rahmat Shah form the central axis of Afghanistan's long-format batting lineup. Explosive white-ball opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz maintains his place to provide quick runs at the top order, while Rahmanullah Zadran earns a massive breakthrough opportunity following Ibrahim Zadran's leg injury. With Rashid Khan resting, the leg-spin duties fall completely onto Qais Ahmad. He will lead the spin attack alongside slow left-arm orthodox spinner Nangyal Kharoti, who earned a maiden Test call-up and the experienced Sharafudin Ashraf to exploit the turning tracks expected in New Chandigarh. The fast-bowling department is built on domestic consistency rather than raw international experience. Uncapped right-arm quick Bilal Sami received his maiden call-up after a stellar domestic season. He spearheads the seam attack alongside left-arm pacer Zia Sharifi and right-arm medium-fast bowler Saleem Safi.

Afghanistan test squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi, Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmanullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafudin Ashraf, Nangyal Kharoti, Qais Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Zia Sharifi, and Saleem Safi.

Afghanistan Cricket Board announces squad for ODI series against India, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Ibrahim Zadran included

Afghanistan's 15-member ODI squad welcomes back the heavy artillery. Unlike the experimental Test group, the 50-over team features a highly experienced core meticulously assembled to challenge India on their home soil. The primary boost comes from the return of three premier superstars: Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Ibrahim Zadran, none of whom are featuring in the Test match. The return of premier opening batter Ibrahim Zadran from a leg injury restores Afghanistan's most stable white-ball partnership alongside the explosive Rahmanullah Gurbaz. With Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmat Shah controlling the middle order, the batting setup looks significantly more resilient than the red-ball unit.

Afghanistan's world-class spin attack is fully loaded for the ODIs. Rashid Khan will lead the charge after managing his back injury workload. He is joined by the timeless Mohammad Nabi and 18-year-old breakout spinner AM Ghazanfar, who earned his spot following a spectacular Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign where he took 15 wickets. The seam department blends the youthful exuberance of Bilal Sami with the international experience of left-arm quicks Fareed Malik and Zia-ur-Rahman Sharifi. This variation offers the captain better tactical flexibility across the different pitch conditions expected in Dharamshala, Lucknow, and Chennai.

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Afghanistan ODI squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Zia-ur-Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Malik, and Bilal Sami.