Afghanistan Name Preliminary Squad For Tri-Nation T20I Series Against UAE & Pakistan, Rashid Khan To Lead Side

Afghanistan preliminary squad for Tri-nation series against Pakistan & UAE

Afghanistan announced their 22-man preliminary squad for the tri-nation series against Pakistan and UAE on Tuesday, 5th August. The preliminary squad includes: 

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Ishaq, Rashid Khan (c), Mohammad Nabi, Nangyal Kharoti, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mujeeb Zadran, Amir Hamza Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad Lakanwal, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Farid Malik, Saleem Safi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad.

Looking at the squad, there are no surprises that Rashid Khan will be captaining the side in this T20 season with mainstays of the team in Rahmnullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Mujeeb Zadran, all of them almost certain to be part of the main playing eleven heading into the series, the Asia Cup, and the World Cup. 

Afghanistan, currently ranked 9th in ICC T20I rankings with 6699 in 30 matches, would also believe that their position in the rankings doesn’t reflect their skill, and the Tri-nation series will be important to move up in the order. Afghanistan last played a T20 international in December, where they emerged victorious by 2-1 over Zimbabwe in a three-match T20I series. 

Rashid Khan and company will be looking to get back into their groove and emerge victorious over Pakistan and the UAE. 

Afghanistan, Pakistan and UAE, Tri-nation Series schedule 

The tri-nation series between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the UAE is all set to start from Friday, 29th August, 2025, with the first match between Afghanistan and Pakistan at Sharjah. The Tri-nation series will follow a standard format with each team playing two matches against each other, and the teams that finish in the top two will compete with each other in the final on Thursday, 7th September at Sharjah. All the matches are set to be played at the same venue at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. 

Rashid Khan and company will be looking to tune in their preparations for the Asia Cup, which is supposed to start from 9th September 2025 and will be hosted in the UAE. 

Afghanistan’s Asia Cup Schedule 2025

The 2025 T20 Asia Cup is scheduled to start from 9th September 2025, instantly after the Tri-nation series concludes, and Afghanistan will be locking horns with Hong Kong in the tournament opener on 9th August, at the Abu Dhabi stadium. 

Afghanistan is placed in Group B of the Asia Cup 2025 alongside Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong, and they have a very good chance of progressing into the next round of the tournament. 

Asia Cup 2025 Schedule

Afghanistan CEO hopeful to host International Cricket in future

Afghanistan cricket has seen a major uprise since the T20 World Cup in 2016, as they have emerged as the dark horses in international cricket.  With their recent rise in T20 cricket, there is more room for optimism for Afghan cricket’s growth. The Afghanistan Cricket Team, for the past few years, has played its home games in countries like India and the UAE. With the Tri-Nation series and the Asia Cup all set to be hosted in the UAE, Afghanistan has never had a clear-cut home advantage.  However, ahead of the Tri-nation series, Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO Naseeb Khan, in an exclusive chat to Cricbuzz, revealed that Afghanistan will likely host international cricket matches in the next three to four years.