Afghanistan Remove Rashid Khan as T20I Captain, Ibrahim Zadran Takes Charge

Afghanistan removed Rashid Khan as T20I captain after their T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage exit. Ibrahim Zadran will lead the team in the Sri Lanka series.

Afghanistan has removed Rashid Khan as T20I captain ahead of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka. The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed the decision on Thursday. Ibrahim Zadran will replace Rashid. Zadran earlier served as vice-captain in the T20I squad.

The change follows Afghanistan’s league-stage exit at the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. Team officials reviewed the squad and management structure after the tournament.

“Rashid Khan’s tenure as the T20I captain brought immense success to the team, particularly highlighted by the team’s remarkable journey in the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup, where we reached the semi-finals. In alignment with the ACB’s long-term strategic vision and following recent changes in our Team Management, including the appointment of a new head coach, we have made the thoughtful decision to transition the leadership within the T20I setup,” said chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil in a statement.

“Ibrahim Zadran, who has served as Rashid Khan’s deputy, will assume the role as Afghanistan’s regular captain in this format. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Rashid Khan for his valuable contributions and wish Ibrahim Zadran every success in this important new role,” he added.

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Zadran will begin his captaincy during the upcoming Sri Lanka series as Afghanistan reshapes its T20I setup. Afghanistan made several squad changes for the series. Fast bowler Fazal Haq Farooqi, all-rounder Gulbadin Naib, and wicketkeeper Mohammad Ishaq miss both the T20I and ODI squads. All three played in the Men’s T20 World Cup squad earlier.

The series also marks the first assignment for new head coach Richard Pybus. Afghanistan has scheduled 3 T20Is on March 13, 15, and 17 in Sharjah. The teams will play 3 ODIs on March 20, 22, and 25 in Dubai.

Afghanistan’s T20I Squad:

Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Noor Rahman (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik and Abdullah Ahmadzai

Reserves: Nangyal Kharoti, Bilal Sami and Ijaz Ahmadzai.

Afghanistan’s ODI Squad:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik and Bilal Sami.

Reserves: Qais Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi and Bashir Ahmad.