Opening Batsmen and Spinner of Afghanistan, i.e., Ibrahim Zadran & AM Ghazanfar have finally made their place in the playing 11 for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. However, as per ACB interim chief selector – spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman was “not available for selection”
The 23-year-old, Ibrahim Zadran, slipped during practice on the ground during the Greater Noida Test but has retained his position in the playing 11 of the Afghanistan team for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is about to start on 19 February 2025.
PS – This will be Afghanistan’s first-ever appearance in the Champions Trophy
Zadran is currently with the Khulna Tigers in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Further, according to the ACB interim chief selector, mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman was “not available for the section”. Thus, this brought AM Ghazanfar, who is recently with MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20, into action. Moreover, Rahman was also picked by Mumbai Indians during the IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah.
Having a remarkable few months across formats, the 23-year-old Sediqullah Atal is also included in the playing 11. With 368 runs in five innings at an average of 122.66 and a strike rate of just under 148, Atal was the highest run-getter in the Emerging Team Asia Cup in October 2024. For the three-match ODI series in Harare, where Afghanistan won 2-0, Atal was named Player of the Series. After making his test debut in the Boxing Day test against Zimbabwe in Harare, he is currently with MI Cape Town in the SA20 2025 as a replacement player.
Additionally, the Afghanistan team is set to work under former Pakistan batter Younis Khan, who has been appointed as a team mentor for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 – the third global tournament in a row where the ACB has appointed a mentor after Ajay Jadeja & Dwayne Bravo.
Having captained Afghanistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup, Hashmatullah Shahidi is set to lead the team in this tournament also. Alongside this, Rahmat Shah has been retained as Shahidi’s deputy.
Moreover, along with Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Azmatullah Omarzai, ace spinner Rashid Khan will lead the spin attack. However, after being included in the squad for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, Abdul Malik, Darwish Rasooli, Nangyal Kharoti, and Bilal Sami have been excluded from the main squad for the ICC CT 2025. While, Rasooli, Kharoti, and Sami will be travelling as reserved players.
Afghanistan’s CT campaign is set to begin on 21 February 2025 with a clash against South Africa in Karachi. Furthermore, they will be heading to Lahore for their last two league matches against England and Australia.
Afghanistan Squad for Icc Champions Trophy 2025
Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Sediqullah Atal, AM Ghazanfar, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran, and Farid Ahmad Malik
