Afghanistan Test Squad vs India Announced: Rashid Khan Misses Out, Rahmat Shah Returns

Afghanistan named experienced batter Rahmat Shah and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai in their squad for the one-off Test against India, while Rashid Khan continues to remain unavailable for red-ball cricket.

Afghanistan have unveiled a 15-member squad for the upcoming one-off Test against India, scheduled to be played in New Chandigarh from June 6 to 10. The side will once again be led by Hashmatullah Shahidi as Afghanistan prepare for another major red-ball challenge against a top-ranked opponent.

Top-order batters Sediqullah Atal and Rahmat Shah have both earned spots in the squad. While Atal has featured in only one Test match so far, veteran Rahmat Shah remains one of Afghanistan’s most experienced red-ball cricketers, having played 11 of the nation’s 12 Tests to date.

Star all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai has also been recalled after his previous Test appearance against Zimbabwe in 2024. Afghanistan appear keen to strengthen their balance with additional seam-bowling and middle-order depth ahead of the high-profile encounter.

Rashid Khan Continues To Miss Out From Test Cricket

Afghanistan will once again be without premier spinner Rashid Khan in the longest format. The leg-spinner continues to stay away from Test cricket following recurring injury concerns in recent months.

Head coach Richard Pybus had recently advised Rashid to focus on recovery and workload management rather than returning immediately to red-ball cricket. In his absence, Afghanistan are expected to rely heavily on Qais Ahmad alongside left-arm spin options Sharafuddin Ashraf and Nangeyalia Kharote.

The spin-heavy combination could still pose a challenge on Indian conditions, especially during the latter stages of the Test match.

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Familiar ODI Core Retained For India Series

Afghanistan also announced their squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against India beginning in Dharamsala on June 14. The ODI setup largely mirrors the squad that registered a successful series sweep against Bangladesh last year.

Experienced names like Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz continue to form the core of the side. Left-arm pacer Fareed Malik marked a notable return after last featuring in ODI cricket in 2024.

The selectors have also retained several emerging players, including Sediqullah Atal and Nangeyalia Kharote, as Afghanistan continue building squad depth ahead of future ICC tournaments.

Afghanistan Test Squad

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmanullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharotai, Qais Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Zia Sharifi, Saleem Safi

Reserves: Bashir Ahmad, Bashir Shah, Ismat Alam

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Afghanistan ODI Squad

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Zia ur Rahman, Fareed Malik, Bilal Sami

Reserves: Qais Ahmad, Saleem Safi, Bashir Ahmad