T20 World Cup 2024: Couple of Youngsters Included as Afghanistan Announce Squad Led by Rashid Khan

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Youngsters Nangyal Kharoti and Mohammad Ishaq find a spot as Afghanistan announced their preliminary squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in USA and the Caribbean on Tuesday (April 30) night.

Apart from those two inclusions, there were not many surprises to the Rashid Khan-led side that also saw a few other additions to their squad compared to the 2022 edition, with Karim Janat and Noor Ahmad all named in the side.

The 20-year-old Kharoti, who made his international debut for Afghanistan in March this year against Ireland, has earned his call up after he impressed in that series with five wickets in three matches with an economy of just 5.90.

Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Ishaq, who was part of Afghanistan's squad in the 2020 and 2022 ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cups, also made his senior debut earlier this year against Sri Lanka, and the subsequent series against Ireland. He will provide back up to Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

However, Hashmatullah Shahidi, who led Afghanistan in last year's ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023, did not make the cut with his last T20I appearance coming back in 2022.

Rashid will lead the spin department with support from Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Nangyal Kharoti and veteran Mohammad Nabi. Naveen-ul-Haq, Fareed Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooq have retained their spots and make up Afghanistan's fast-bowling line-up.

Azmatullah Omarzai, Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran and Gulbadin Naib round off the squad for the show-piece tournament in which Afghanistan has been drawn in Group C along with New Zealand, West Indies, Uganda and Papua New Guinea.

Opener Hazratullah Zazai is among three players in the reserves alongside Saleem Safi and Sediq Atal. Afghanistan will open their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against debutants Uganda on June 4, 2024. Here is a look at the squad:

Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2024 Squad

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (captain), Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik. Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi.