The series will also mark Ibrahim Zadran's first assignment as Afghanistan's full-time T20I skipper after taking over from Rashid Khan. Naveen's return bolsters the pace attack after he recovered from a stress fracture in his right shoulder, an injury that had sidelined him from the bilateral series against the West Indies and the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where Afghanistan made an early exit. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
He joins Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Azmatullah Omarzai in the fast-bowling department. The squad also sees the return of veteran seam-bowling all-rounder Gulbadin Naib, while uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Noor Rahman earned his maiden call-up following consistent domestic performances. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
The spin contingent remains formidable, featuring Rashid, Noor Ahmad, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi. \"The Afghanistan Cricket Board has always made every effort to select a well-balanced and fully prepared squad for all relevant competitions. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe have followed the same approach for the upcoming series against India, and I hope the Afghanistan team will deliver an outstanding performance in these matches. It is a great pride that Afghanistan is hosting a major cricketing nation for the first time. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThis reflects the progress Afghan cricket has made toward achieving its major objectives and shows that we are steadily advancing toward the strategic goals identified by the organization,\" said Naseeb Khan, the Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO, in a statement. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Afghanistan squad will reach India early for a preparatory camp before the series begins. The series will mark the first-ever men\u2019s bilateral T20I series between Afghanistan and India, after the two teams played in a one-off Test and three ODIs in June this year. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThis reflects the progress Afghan cricket has made toward achieving its major objectives and shows that we are steadily advancing toward the strategic goals identified by the organization,\" said Naseeb Khan, the Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO, in a statement. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reserves: Ijaz Ahmadzai, Shahidullah Kamal, Fareed Ahmad Malik.<\/p>\r\n\r\n