Darwish Rasooli has been named captain of Afghanistan’s 15-man team for the 2026 Asian Games, which will take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 24 to October 3. The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Sub-regional Qualifiers were previously held at this location. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) National Selection Committee approved a 15-man roster on Monday, choosing a mix of new talent and seasoned international experience.
The selection does not include all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, or regular captain Rashid Khan. Najibullah Zadran and Karim Janat, two seasoned activists, hold onto their positions and maintain the group’s continuity.
Using the domestic competition as their main form of reference, the selectors selected most of the team from players in the 11th edition of the Shpageeza Cricket League. The decision to name different squads for the two assignments appears to have been influenced by Afghanistan’s commitment to play India in three Twenty20 Internationals in Delhi during the week leading up to the start of the Asian Games.
The selection does not include all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, or regular captain Rashid Khan. Najibullah Zadran and Karim Janat, two seasoned activists, hold onto their positions and maintain the group’s continuity. Using the domestic competition as their main form of reference, the selectors selected most of the team from players in the 11th edition of the Shpageeza Cricket League.
The decision to name different squads for the two assignments appears to have been influenced by Afghanistan’s commitment to play India in three Twenty20 Internationals in Delhi during the week leading up to the start of the Asian Games.
Afghanistan squad for Asian Games: Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Mohammad Akram, Hassan Eisakhil, Khalid Taniwal, Imran Mir, Faisal Khan Shinozada, Najibullah Zadran, Farmanullah Safi, Ismat Alam, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Arab Gul Momand, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Abdullah Ahmadzai, and Darwish Rasooli (c).
