Rashid Khan SACKED! Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli challenger named new Afghanistan captain

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) takes a massive decision after a better to forget campaign in the T20 World Cup 2026. Replacing Rashid Khan, the cricket board has appointed Ibrahim Zadran as their new captain in the T20I format. He will start his journey as T20I skipper in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.

The Zadran-led Afghanistan cricket team will start a new era in its cricket history of cricket. Under the leadership of Rashid Khan, the cricket team touched new heights in international cricket. The task to take the team forward will not be a piece of cake for the newly appointed leader.

Why does the ACB need to change the leadership?

In the 2024 T20 World Cup, Afghanistan surprised everyone by reaching the semifinals of the tournament. Dismissing multiple heavyweight candidates, Rashin Khan guided the team to the group of the best four teams of ICC's flagship tournament. From there, they might have suffered a brutal defeat against South Africa, but qualifying in the semifinals of a World Cup itself was a massive achievement for the team.

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In 2026, they sustained a disappointing campaign as they got eliminated from the group stage. Jonathan Trott, the head coach of the team, also bid adieu to the national team as soon as their campaign came to an early end. Keeping an eye on the future, the ACB officials needed to take a significant step which can put effect on the future.

In a major move, they have appointed the top-order batter Ibrahim Zadran, who previously served as the vice-captain in T20Is, to replace Rashid Khan as the captain of the Afghanistan T20I team. Afghanistan is scheduled to face Sri Lanka in a limited-overs series, where Zadran will make his captaincy debut in international cricket.

"Rashid Khan’s tenure as the T20I captain brought immense success to the team, particularly highlighted by the team’s remarkable journey in the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup, where we reached the semi-finals. In alignment with the ACB’s long-term strategic vision and following recent changes in our Team Management, including the appointment of a new head coach, we have made the thoughtful decision to transition the leadership within the T20I setup", ACB’s Chief Selector, Mr. Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil said in an official statement.

Afghanistan Cricket Board clarified why Zadran is the best for replacing Rashid Khan

"Ibrahim Zadran, who has served as Rashid Khan’s deputy, will assume the role as Afghanistan’s regular captain in this format. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Rashid Khan for his valuable contributions and wish Ibrahim Zadran every success in this important new role", the statement continues.

The cricket board has made it clear that they are taking these steps with the aim to do good in the upcoming T20 World Cup events. Under the new leader, they are hopeful to climb new heights in the near future.

"In addition, our long-term goal is to adequately prepare the team for the upcoming two World Cup events. We are hopeful that, under this new leadership, the National Team will not only flourish but also showcase outstanding performances and build a strong and competitive bench strength for the crucial challenges that lie ahead," he added.

Why Ibrahim Zadran is considered as a challenger of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma?

According to the ICC ODI rankings for the batters, Zadran appears as a strong challenger for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. After Daryl Mitchell and Virat Kohli, the Afghanistan batter is currently in the third spot of the rankings with 764 points, while Kohli, who is in the second spot, has 795 points.

Former India captain Rohit Sharma holds the fourth place in the rankings with 757 points.

Afghanistan Squads For Sri Lanka Series:

Afghanistan’s T20I Squad: Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Noor Rahman (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik and Abdullah Ahmadzai.

Reserves: Nangyal Kharoti, Bilal Sami and Ijaz Ahmadzai.

Afghanistan’s ODI Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik and Bilal Sami.

Read More: Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed join new Pakistan selection committee after T20 World Cup 2026