Afghanistan T20 Squad | Afghanistan Men’s Cricket Team: Afghanistan Cricket Team in 2024

Afghanistan’s journey in T20 cricket stands as a testament to their resilience, determination and unwavering ambition. The Afghan team has gone up from the bottom of the ladder to massive heights aiming at establishing themselves as an indomitable force on the global stage. Their vision goes beyond mere cricketing success; it also includes national inspiration that would unite the whole nation under a common goal to bring back pride among them. Being granted full ICC membership, competing in all major tournaments, and winning major T20 trophies rank high among their targets. After recording remarkable achievements such as an astronomical rise in rankings, consistent World Cup T20 participation and some notable upsets against top teams, Afghanistan has made its presence felt in international cricket. As they prepare for the 2024 World Cup T20, Afghanistan’s T20 Tigers are bound to pose serious issues with focus being put on creating a balanced unit, strategic planning and continuing momentum. The journey serves as an inspiration showcasing how passion can convert into power for transformation purposes and this is what makes everyone wait for their next chapter.

Read Also: India T20 Cricket Team | Pakistan T20 Cricket Team | England T20 Cricket Team

Afghanistan T20 Cricket Team

Player Name	Speciality	Age	Memorable Achievement
Ibrahim Zadran	Opening Batter	22	Though Afghanistan lost the match against Sri Lanka it was Zadran who stood out through his aggressive batting by scoring 67 runs off 55 balls at lightning speed.
Mohammad Ishaq	Wicketkeeper Batter	19	His knock of 27 runs off just 22 balls during the final game of the series against Ireland could be considered his best performance till now considering his limited number of matches played so far which showed he can bat quickly when needed.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz	Wicketkeeper Batter	22	79 runs off 52 balls (2023) – This knock provided Afghanistan with a flying start setting the tone for a dominant victory.
Sediqullah Atal	Opening Batter	22	In the Kabul Premier League (KPL), Atal set records that would never be broken in 2023. He smashed seven sixes in one over leaving both players from rival teams surprised about his outstanding game performance and bowlers confused about what they were supposed to do while playing because hitting like this became viral.
Hazratullah Zazai	Opening Batter	25	The 2019 T20I against Ireland is Zazai’s most notable moment. He had 162 runs not out from just 62 balls including a record-breaking 16 sixes for which he became famous and helped Afghanistan to post a team score which was recorded as an all-time high.
Najibullah Zadran	Middle order Batter	30	Although there may not be much information on his recent T20I knocks against Sri Lanka, Zadran’s impactful performance in the World Cup T20 2016 should be mentioned. He played an important innings scoring 48 off 40 opening the batting while facing West Indies and he was awarded as man of the match for his contribution.

Rashid Khan (Captain)	Bowling All-rounder	25	Rashid achieved this remarkable feat in just two years and 220 days, showing how rapidly he climbed up to become such a player.
Azmatullah Omarzai	All-rounder	23
Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai	All-rounder	20
Mohammad Nabi	All-rounder	39	Nabi demonstrated his hitting power by scoring fifty (50) runs off only eighteen (18) balls against West Indies during the T20 World Cup qualifiers; setting the record for fastest fifty by any Afghan batsman.
Karim Janat	Bowling All-rounder	25	Janat got career-best bowling figures of five wickets for eleven runs from six overs against Strong West Indies’ batting lineup. This dominant performance was enough to solidify him as someone who can be relied upon when it comes to taking wickets.
Nangeyalia Kharote	All-rounder	19
Gulbadin Naib	Batting All-rounder	32	Although Afghanistan finally lost the series, Naib demonstrated his explosive batting potential with two back-to-back impressive knocks. First came a belligerent innings of 57 off only 35 deliveries before following it up with another brutal knock of just 23 balls in the next game which went into a thrilling Super Over
Fareed Ahmad	Bowler	29	Ahmad’s most amazing bowling performance to date was when he played against Pakistan, their arch-rival in the 2023 Asian Games. In just 3 overs, He delivered an excellent bowling spell of 4 wickets for only 15 runs effectively restricting Pakistan’s batting and contributed significantly to Afghanistan’s victory.
Fazalhaq Farooqi	Bowler	23
Mujeeb Ur Rahman	Bowler	22
Naveen-ul-Haq	Bowler	24	Naveen had a deciding spell in the 2023 World Cup that led to Afghanistan winning over England which they have never done before. One of the key moments included the dismissal of the dangerous Jos Buttler by the player. This impactful performance significantly contributed to Afghanistan’s victory.
Noor Ahmad	Bowler	19	Noor Ahmad’s best T20I performance to date came on the biggest stage – his international debut. Against Zimbabwe in 2022, his figures of 4/10 off four overs played a crucial role in Afghanistan’s win and earned him Player of the Match honours.
Wafadar Momand	Bowler	24

Ibrahim Zadran

Ibrahim Zadran is being seen as an important part of the Afghan T20 team these days, even though he is just a young boy, aged 22 years old. His attacking approach towards batting and his ability to tackle pressure make him a good bet for Afghan cricket to look forward to.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	36	75
Runs	874	1834
Innings	36	70
Not Out	6	70
Balls Faced	815	1557
High Score	72	96
Average	29.13	32.17
Strike Rate	107.23	117.79
Bowling
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	75	–
Balls	183	–
Innings	14	–
Runs	266	–
Wickets	6	–
Average	44.33	–
Strike Rate	30.5	–

Mohammad Ishaq

Mohammad Ishaq, the young wicket-keeper batsman from Afghanistan, has been making waves in recent times with his remarkable performances in T20 cricket.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	4	14
Runs	75	120
Innings	4	13
Not Out	1	4
Balls Faced	53	112
High Score	32	32
Average	25	13.33
Strike Rate	141.5	107.14

Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the young and dynamic wicket-keeper batsman from Afghanistan, has already taken the world of T20 cricket by storm with his aggressive opening style.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	55	166
Runs	1376	3985
Innings	55	165
Not Out	0	3
Balls Faced	997	2681
High Score	100	121
Average	25.01	24.59
Strike Rate	138.01	148.63

Sediqullah Atal

Sediqullah Atal is a left-handed hitter reducing every other right-arm pace bowler threat in the opposition’s squads.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	6	21
Runs	72	302
Innings	6	20
Not Out	0	0
Balls Faced	86	306
High Score	35	41
Average	12	15.1
Strike Rate	83.72	98.69

Hazratullah Zazai

Hazratullah Zazai, who is known for his aggressive batting and power-hitting capabilities, is a left-handed opening batsman from Afghanistan. He has become one of the key players in their T20 side.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	43	111
Runs	1138	2806
Innings	43	111
Not Out	3	4
Balls Faced	855	2020
High Score	162	162
Average	28.45	26.22
Strike Rate	133.09	138.91

Najibullah Zadran

Najibullah Zadran has turned into an important player in the shortest format of cricket. He is a valuable asset to any team that wants to rotate the strike, find boundaries and score runs at a brisk pace within 20 overs.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	102	213
Runs	1808	3874
Innings	91	191
Not Out	32	49
Balls Faced	1305	2822
High Score	73	97
Average	30.64	27.28
Strike Rate	138.54	137.27
Bowling
	T20s
Matches	213
Balls	12
Innings	2
Runs	8
Wickets	1
Average	8
Strike Rate	12

Rashid Khan (Captain)

Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s young spinner has taken world cricket by storm as he also doubles up as the captain of Afghan T20I players during games showcasing skilful bowling performances that are directed to coaching points; obviously, leading them with the ability and strategic thinking.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	85	418
Runs	403	2109
Innings	49	244
Not Out	21	80
Balls Faced	313	1461
High Score	48	79
Average	14.39	12.85
Strike Rate	128.75	144.35
Bowling
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	85	418
Balls	1946	9656
Innings	85	415
Runs	1970	10396
Wickets	138	569
Average	14.27	18.27
Strike Rate	14.1	16.9

Azmatullah Omarzai

Azmatullah Omarzai has emerged as a crucial all-rounder in T20 cricket. Nicknamed “Oms”, Azmatulla Omarzai brings an explosive dimension to this Afghan lineup through his aggressive batting.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	36	85
Runs	288	869
Innings	26	61
Not Out	4	17
Balls Faced	253	666
High Score	33	62
Average	13.09	19.75
Strike Rate	113.83	130.48
Bowling
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	36	85
Balls	555	1575
Innings	33	81
Runs	777	2059
Wickets	26	83
Average	29.88	24.8
Strike Rate	21.3	18.9

Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai

Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, the young right-handed batsman from Afghanistan, is considered one of the bright emerging stars of Twenty-Twenty cricket.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	3	9
Runs	35	82
Innings	3	7
Not Out	0	1
Balls Faced	32	78
High Score	16	22
Average	11.66	13.66
Strike Rate	109.37	105.12

Mohammad Nabi

Since the Afghan national team in 2009, Mohammad Nabi has represented his country with distinction in many forms of cricket including Twenty-Twenty. As an off-spinner and middle-order hitter, Nabi’s amazing efforts have played main roles in taking Afghanistan up among associate nations playing T20s.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	121	388
Runs	2109	5776
Innings	113	330
Not Out	21	64
Balls Faced	1520	4215
High Score	89	89
Average	22.92	21.71
Strike Rate	138.45	137.03
Bowling
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	121	388
Balls	2134	7233
Innings	113	372
Runs	2616	8463
Wickets	93	345
Average	28.12	24.53
Strike Rate	22.9	20.9

Karim Janat

A right-arm medium pacer and right-hand batsman known as Karim Janat could be one such example where we can see what exactly it means when individuals say How does he do that?’. Even though he was only twenty years old when making his debut in 2016, Karim Janat has since shown great consistency with the ball and occasional flashes of brilliance with the bat.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	59	126
Runs	594	1849
Innings	42	99
Not Out	6	17
Balls Faced	509	1363
High Score	56	120
Average	16.5	22.54
Strike Rate	116.69	135.65
Bowling
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	59	126
Balls	823	2048
Innings	48	110
Runs	1130	2657
Wickets	42	100
Average	26.9	26.57
Strike Rate	19.5	20.4

Nangeyalia Kharote

There is excitement all around the Afghan cricket world today because of Nangeyalia Kharote’s name. Although we do not have much information about him before or to this, his first game against Ireland in March 2024 has put him in the limelight.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	3	21
Runs	4	150
Innings	3	16
Not Out	2	7
Balls Faced	11	115
High Score	4	29
Average	4	16.66
Strike Rate	36.36	130.43
Bowling
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	3	21
Balls	66	354
Innings	3	17
Runs	65	400
Wickets	5	23
Average	13	17.39
Strike Rate	13.2	15.3

Gulbadin Naib

Mohammad Nabi may have stolen the recent spotlight, but Gulbadin Naib remains a crucial figure in Afghan T20 cricket. This off-spinning all-rounder has consistently delivered impactful performances with both bat and ball, solidifying his reputation as a match-winner.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	65	126
Runs	807	1626
Innings	54	107
Not Out	16	31
Balls Faced	646	1237
High Score	57	91
Average	21.23	21.39
Strike Rate	124.92	131.44
Bowling
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	65	126
Balls	595	1421
Innings	40	89
Runs	813	1951
Wickets	26	70
Average	31.26	27.87
Strike Rate	22.8	20.3

Fareed Ahmad

Fareed Ahmad, an Afghanistan cricketer whose left-arm fast-medium bowling complements his left-handed batting skill is considered one of the great T20 all-rounders. In 2016 Ahmad entered the international stage where he has been consistent with his throwing hands and outstanding with the bat at times.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	30	63
Runs	32	74
Innings	5	17
Not Out	4	9
Balls Faced	33	77
High Score	24	24
Average	32	9.25
Strike Rate	96.96	96.1
Bowling
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	30	63
Balls	543	1226
Innings	29	62
Runs	764	1714
Wickets	39	68
Average	19.58	25.2
Strike Rate	13.9	18

Fazalhaq Farooqi

Fazalhaq Farooqi, a rising star in Afghan cricket, has quickly made a name for himself as a potent left-arm fast bowler in the T20 arena. Despite being such a young player, Farooqi surprised everyone with his maturity and skills to be one of Afghanistan’s Frontmen for their future in this format.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	34	76
Runs	6	11
Innings	9	18
Not Out	6	11
Balls Faced	14	35
High Score	2	2
Average	2	1.57
Strike Rate	42.85	31.42
Bowling
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	34	76
Balls	752	1695
Innings	34	76
Runs	845	1939
Wickets	37	92
Average	22.83	21.07
Strike Rate	20.3	18.4

Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb Ur Rahman is an experienced off-break spinner in the Afghan T20 team today. His exceptional control of flight and ability to take crucial wickets makes him one of the best spinners in world T20s.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	45	240
Runs	54	302
Innings	13	76
Not Out	7	36
Balls Faced	44	293
High Score	21	302
Average	9	7.55
Strike Rate	122.72	103.07
Bowling
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	45	240
Balls	990	5406
Innings	45	240
Runs	1052	6097
Wickets	58	256
Average	18.13	23.81
Strike Rate	17	21.1

Naveen-ul-Haq

Naveen-ul-Haq, who bowls right-arm fast-medium pace for Afghanistan cricket team, is another key piece in their attack when it comes to this format. The man’s incredible pace combined with spot-on yorkers and ability to get that timely breakthrough justifies why he is becoming one of Africa’s future stars of cricket.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	37	174
Runs	38	316
Innings	11	64
Not Out	5	28
Balls Faced	50	326
High Score	13	25
Average	6.33	8.77
Strike Rate	76	96.93
Bowling
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	37	174
Balls	736	3664
Innings	37	173
Runs	1016	5028
Wickets	46	209
Average	22.08	24.05
Strike Rate	16	17.5

Noor Ahmad

Noor Ahmad from Afghanistan stands out among them because he has shown such remarkable talent at an early stage. Although Noor Ahmad is still wet behind the ears, he has already displayed great potential to become one vital cog that Afghanistan needs in their bowling attack in the future.

Batting
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	7	86
Runs	27	133
Innings	5	30
Not Out	2	13
Balls Faced	29	120
High Score	9	20
Average	9	7.82
Strike Rate	93.1	110.83
Bowling
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	7	86
Balls	126	1886
Innings	7	86
Runs	166	2292
Wickets	6	91
Average	27.66	25.18
Strike Rate	21	20.7

Wafadar Momand

Wafadar Momand is a promising cricketer who has already shown his worth in Afghan T20 cricket. It is difficult to find any information about his early years, but his batting and bowling abilities indicate that he could develop into a very useful all-rounder for the country.

Batting
	T20s
Matches	24
Runs	16
Innings	7
Not Out	5
Balls Faced	19
High Score	14
Average	8
Strike Rate	84.21
Bowling
	T20Is	T20s
Matches	2	24
Balls	31	469
Innings	2	24
Runs	65	643
Wickets	0	23
Average	–	27.95
Strike Rate	–	20.3

Afghanistan T20 Cricket Team Winning Records

Team	Opposition	Span	Total Matches	Won	Lost	No Result
Afghanistan	South Africa	2010 – 2016	2	0	2	0
Afghanistan	Zimbabwe	2015 – 2022	15	14	1	0
Afghanistan	Hong Kong	2014 – 2016	5	3	2	0
Afghanistan	Namibia	2021	1	1	0	0
Afghanistan	New Zealand	2021	1	0	1	0
Afghanistan	Pakistan	2013 – 2023	7	3	4	0
Afghanistan	Sri Lanka	2016 – 2024	8	3	5	0
Afghanistan	Australia	2022	1	0	1	0
Afghanistan	England	2012 – 2022	3	0	3	0
Afghanistan	Bangladesh	2014 – 2023	11	6	5	0
Afghanistan	Netherlands	2010 – 2015	4	2	2	0
Afghanistan	West Indies	2016 – 2019	7	3	4	0
Afghanistan	Ireland	2010 – 2024	26	18	8	0
Afghanistan	United Arab Emirates	2015 – 2024	12	9	3	0
Afghanistan	Nepal	2014	1	0	1	0
Afghanistan	Scotland	2010 – 2021	7	7	0	0
Afghanistan	India	2010 – 2024	8	0	7	1
Afghanistan	Canada	2010 – 2012	2	2	0	0
Afghanistan	Kenya	2013	3	2	1	0
Afghanistan	Oman	2015 – 2017	5	5	0	0
Afghanistan	Papua New Guinea	2015	1	1	0	0

Afghanistan T20 Cricket Team World Cup Records

Year	Total Matches	Won	Lost
2010	2	0	2
2012 – 2013	2	0	2
2013 – 2014	3	1	2
2015 – 2016	7	4	3
2021 – 2022	5	2	3
2022 – 2023	3	0	3

Afghanistan T20 Cricket Team Coach

The Afghanistan T20 national team is currently guided by a coaching staff with Jonathan Trott at the helm as Head Coach. Here’s a breakdown of the key members and their potential goals for the upcoming World Cup in 2024:

Head Coach: Jonathan Trott

Jonathan Trott, A former English middle-order batsman with vast experience in international cricket brings valuable knowledge about techniques and strategies on board to help the Afghan team go places.

Specifically, when it comes to dealing with spin bowling pressure or playing under high stakes, he can indeed help out this squad from Afghanistan. While no specific targets have been released by the coaching team, here’s what might be next for Afghanistan at the 2024 T20 World Cup:

Capitalising on Past Successes
Covering Weaknesses
Instilling Team Spirit and Cohesion
Flexible Tactics
Creating a Winning Culture

Jonathan Trott’s experience as a coach together with other members of this technical bench could make them serious contenders at WC24. If they continue working hard to improve themselves and their lives and then rectify loopholes while still maintaining a winning mentality they should hope to make an impressive statement globally.

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