Afghanistan: From Underdogs to T20 World Cup Contenders

After giving a great performance in the ODI World Cup last year, this year Afghanistan will be looking to change the points table. Rashid Khan leads the team.

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The Afghanistan team that has entered the world of cricket has made a strong impression. They did a great job last year by defeating 4 teams in the World Cup. They defeated Pakistan, England, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka. 

Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup Squad 2024

  1. Rashid Khan (c)
  2. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
  3. Ibrahim Zadran
  4. Azmatullah Omarzai
  5. Najibullah Zadran
  6. Mohammad Ishaq
  7. Mohammad Nabi  
  8. Gulbadin Naib
  9. Karim Janat
  10. Nangyal Kharoti
  11. Mujeeb Ur Rahman
  12. Noor Ahmad
  13. Naveen-ul-Haq
  14. Fazalhaq Farooqi
  15. Fareed Ahmad Malik

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Important Players for Afghanistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup

  • Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan, who is called the magician of spin bowling, is also captaining Afghanistan in this year’s T20 World Cup. If we talk about his experience, then apart from international T20, he has experience of playing in many big leagues of the world. Till now, he has played 85 T20 international matches in which he has taken 138 wickets, for an economy of just 6.08.

  • Rahmanullah Gurbaz

The team will be expecting a good start from Afghanistan’s explosive opening bowler, Rahmanullah Gurbaaz. His T20 performance is excellent. Till now, he has scored 1376 runs in 55 matches, which includes 1 century and 7 half-centuries.

  • Mohammad Nabi

The most experienced player in Afghanistan is 39-year-old Mohammad Nabi, who is going to play his last T20 World Cup. Till now, he has played 120 T20 international matches, in which he has scored 2087 runs and taken 93 wickets.

  • Naveen-ul-Haq

Afghanistan’s pace bowling will be in the hands of Naveen Ul Haq this year. He has experience in many T20 leagues of the world, which will be very useful for the team. Till now, he has taken 46 wickets in 37 T20 matches.

  • Najibullah Zadran

The other most experienced batsman of Afghanistan is Najibullah Zadran, who has so far played 102 T20 matches for Afghanistan in which he has scored 1808 runs, that too at a strike rate of 138.

Also Read: Will South Africa Win The T20 WC In 2024? Squad & Prediction

What can we expect from other players?

  • Noor Ahmad

After Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed is showing his spin magic on the Afghanistan team. This year, he is going to play in his first World Cup. In the IPL, he is playing for the Gujarat Titans. Till now, he has played 7 T20 international matches in which he has taken only 6 wickets.

  • Fazalhaq Farooqi

Left-arm fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi can perform very well for Afghanistan. He has taken 37 wickets in 34 T20 matches so far, and that too with an economy of just 6.74

  • Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb Ur Rahman can help the team perform well with his off-break bowling. Till now, he has taken 58 wickets in 45 T20 matches. Right now, he is playing for Punjab Kings in the IPL.

  • Gulbadin Naib

Afghanistan’s bowling all-rounder, Gulbadin Naib, has a good record in T20 cricket. He has played 64 T20 matches so far, in which he has taken 802 runs and 26 wickets.

Also Read: Will India Win The T20 World Cup This Year? Chances, Squad

Reserves:

  1. Sediq Atal
  2. Hazratullah Zazai
  3. Saleem Safi

Prediction: 

Building on their impressive performance in the ODI World Cup last year, Afghanistan has a strong chance of making a deep run in the T20 World Cup. Their squad has a potent combination of power hitters like Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Najibullah Zadran, alongside a world-class spin attack by Rashid Khan and support from Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad. However, their success will depend on how they handle teams with strong batting lineups, like New Zealand and the West Indies. If they can overcome these challenges, Afghanistan has the potential to reach the top 4 under Rashid Khan’s leadership.

Afghanistan’s Schedule for T20 World Cup 2024

TEAM  TEAM DATE VENUE
Afghanistan  vs Uganda June 3 Guyana
Afghanistan  vs New Zealand June 7 Guyana 
Afghanistan  vs PNG June 13 Tarouba
Afghanistan  vs West Indies June 17 St Lucia