Explore the Afghanistan National Cricket Team, including its history, players, international achievements, ICC status, rankings, major milestones, and rise in Test, ODI, and T20I cricket.
The Afghanistan National Cricket Team has represented Afghanistan in international cricket since 1995 and has achieved significant success over the years.
| No. | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rashid Khan | Bowler / Captain |
| 2 | Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| 3 | Ibrahim Zadran | Batter |
| 4 | Sediqullah Atal | Batter |
| 5 | Rahmat Shah | Batter / All-rounder |
| 6 | Hashmatullah Shahidi | Batter |
| 7 | Darwish Rasooli | Batter |
| 8 | Shahidullah Kamal | All-rounder |
| 9 | Mohammad Nabi | All-rounder |
| 10 | Gulbadin Naib | All-rounder |
| 11 | Azmatullah Omarzai | All-rounder |
| 12 | Noor Ahmad | Bowler |
| 13 | Fazalhaq Farooqi | Bowler |
| 14 | Mujeeb Ur Rahman | Bowler |
| 15 | Nangeyalia Kharote | Bowler |
| 16 | AM Ghazanfar | Bowler |
| 17 | Ziaur Rahman | Bowler |
| 18 | Yamin Ahmadzai | Bowler |
| 19 | Fareed Ahmad | Bowler |
| 20 | Ikram Alikhil | Wicketkeeper |
| 21 | Mohammad Ishaq | Wicketkeeper |
| 22 | Qais Ahmad | Bowler |
| 23 | Abdul Malik | Batter |
| 24 | Bahir Shah | Batter |
| 25 | Ismat Alam | All-rounder |
| No. | Date | Opponent | Format | Venue | Afghanistan Score | Opponent Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 Aug 2026 | Ireland | ODI | Belfast | 302/4 (48.5) | 298/7 (50) | Afghanistan won by 6 wickets |
| 2 | 12 Aug 2026 | Ireland | ODI | Belfast | 343/9 (50) | 301 (48) | Afghanistan won by 42 runs |
| 3 | 10 Aug 2026 | Ireland | ODI | Belfast | 207/7 (44.5) | 206 (46.3) | Afghanistan won by 3 wickets |
| 4 | 7 Aug 2026 | Ireland | ODI | Bready | 299/8 (47) | 207 (33.4) | Afghanistan won by 92 runs |
| 5 | 5 Aug 2026 | Ireland | ODI | Bready | — | — | Match abandoned |
| 6 | 20 Jun 2026 | India | ODI | Chennai | 218 (44.2) | 224/1 (28.4) | India won by 9 wickets |
| 7 | 17 Jun 2026 | India | ODI | Lucknow | 232 (44.3) | 402 (49.5) | India won by 170 runs |
| 8 | 13 Jun 2026 | India | ODI | Dharamsala | 194 (24.5) | 195/3 (22.5) | India won by 7 wickets |
| 9 | 6–10 Jun 2026 | India | Test | Mullanpur | 152 & 112 | 564/8d | India won by an innings & 300 runs |
| 10 | 19 Feb 2026 | Canada | T20I | Chennai | 200/4 (20) | 118/8 (20) | Afghanistan won by 82 runs |
| Category | Record in Last 10 |
|---|---|
| Matches won | 5 |
| Matches lost | 4 |
| Abandoned | 1 |
| Win percentage among completed matches | 55.6% |
| Most recent result | Won by 6 wickets vs Ireland |
| Best winning margin | 300-run innings victory by India |
| Biggest Afghanistan win | 92 runs vs Ireland |
The History of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team
Cricket has been played in Afghanistan since the mid 19th century, yet only since early 21st century has its national team experienced any notable success. In 1995, the Afghanistan Cricket Board was established and became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council in 2001; then two years later it gained full membership status for both test and one-day internationals.
Afghanistan made their T20 international debut in 2010, and quickly began showing promise. Within six years they were runners-up in the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier Group Stage Tournament against India and England – this marked a key achievement as this was their inaugural experience participating with a top eight full member country in a World Cup qualifier tournament.
Afghanistan have continued to improve as a cricket nation and are now well established in T20 International cricket – they even made it all the way to the semifinals in 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup!
Afghanistan national cricket team has made an impactful statement on the ODI scene, being currently ranked 8 in ODI rankings and winning 13 ODIs thus giving them a good shot at qualifying for 2026 ICC World Cup qualification.
Afghanistan has seen much violence and insecurity recently; nevertheless, its national cricket team has managed to remain an international power. This success can be largely attributed to players’ dedication and commitment towards playing cricket; furthermore, the national cricket board has ensured players receive every possible chance at success.
Afghan cricket team has also received considerable support from its government. President Hamid Karzai serves as Patron-in-Chief of Afghanistan Cricket Board and several prominent donors have provided funding assistance.
The Members of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team
Cricket is a widely beloved sport in Afghanistan, and the national team represents their country on an international stage. Afghanistan recently made rapid strides and recently gained full membership of the International Cricket Council, enabling them to participate in official Test matches.
Furthermore, Afghanistan boasts a robust domestic cricketing structure including regional tournaments and provincial teams; additionally it boasts many talented cricketers which has helped earn them international renown as quality cricket players.
Afghanistan competed in the 2009 ICC World Cricket League Division Five tournament and finished second, winning three matches to achieve their goal of qualifying as One Day International (ODI).
Following this success, Afghanistan gained full ODI status; their inaugural ODI match against Sri Lanka occurred later that same year. They also placed fourth in 2010 Under-19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier to earn qualification to compete at 2012 Under-19 World Cup tournament.
Afghan cricket has long struggled with security concerns, yet in recent years this situation has changed for the better. Now with a new government and increased stability across their region, their international cricket games have increased as has their playing schedule and progress made in Test format cricket matches.
Afghanistan boasts an outstanding roster of cricket players with several proven international performers and young and dynamic bowlers including numerous wicket-taking spinners.
Afghanistan cricket team has done well in T20 internationals, winning three out of their five matches to increase their ranking on ICC T20 International rankings.
Their performance will be intriguing to watch when facing off with international heavyweights; 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup should provide them with another opportunity to shine as Afghanistan hopes to make semi-finals; this would be a major accomplishment and hopefully they can build upon it in future tournaments and achieve even greater successes!
The Reputation of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team
Afghanistan national cricket team players have earned an admirable reputation for their charitable activities. Many players have made substantial donations to improve the lives of Afghan citizens; their generosity has not gone unnoticed and has contributed greatly to its rising popularity in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan National Cricket Team has made great strides in international cricket over recent years, becoming one of the highest rated teams for both T20Is and ODIs. Their rapid rise has become a focus of intense media attention and public curiosity; particularly within their home nation of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan may still be at war, yet cricket continues to thrive there. In 2023, Afghanistan participated in several bilateral matches against full member countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh and also took part in both ODI and T20I ICC World Cup tournaments – making them a forceful contender in international cricket.
After these achievements, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) received a $1.2 million grant from the ICC under their targeted assistance and performance program. They plan to use these funds to enhance infrastructure development as well as improving quality at their national cricket academy.
In 2011, Afghanistan Cricket Team entered various ACC competitions, such as ACC T20 Trophy and ODI Cup. At ACC T20 Trophy, Afghanistan earned first place and were welcomed with open arms back home after returning from competition; marking a significant step forward towards unification within a country which had endured three decades of war.
In 2012, Afghanistan participated in the ICC Intercontinental Cup tournament, playing one ODI against Pakistan during this tournament to mark a significant step forward for Afghanistan cricket. They also competed in ACC Twenty20 Cup tournament – beating Canada and drawing with UAE to claim victory for championship.
The Current Status of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team
Afghanistan cricket team has quickly established themselves on the international scene despite playing only a small number of Test matches to date. At present, they are ranked 11th for Test matches worldwide (8th in ODIs and 10th in T20Is).
Afghanistan national cricket team has experienced some difficulty on its journey towards greatness, yet has managed to make some strides forward over recent years. In 2011, Afghanistan finished second in ICC World Twenty20 qualifier which allowed them to face India and England in group stage matches; although they lost both games it showed that Afghanistan cricket team was making headway.
Afghanistan hosted Pakistan for an ODI match in Sharjah in 2012. This was the inaugural encounter between two International Cricket Council Affiliate nations – this match ended up being won by Pakistan, but still represented an important step for Afghanistan as they participated in 2012 ICC International Cup and achieved mixed results (beating Papua New Guinea and Netherlands, but losing to Ireland and United States).
(2013) marked another success for Afghan cricket. After finishing second in the World Cricket League Championship and qualifying as an Associate Team for the 2015 Cricket World Cup as an Associate, Afghanistan earned their very first World Cup qualification ever and celebrated by winning two matches while drawing one – taking them closer towards becoming Test playing nation status.
In 2016, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) developed a strategic plan to transition from Associate membership of the ICC to Full membership by 2025, hoping this would enable regular bilateral ODI and T20I matches against countries such as India.
The Afghanistan National Cricket Team received strong support for this development, with the ICC granting US$422,000 through its targeted assistance and performance program. The initiative aimed to foster more competitive teams among ICC Full, Associate, and Affiliate members while supporting the development of the national cricket academy in Kabul to improve players’ match-playing abilities within Afghanistan.
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