Hashmatullah Shahidi Leads Afghanistan Tour of India

Left-handed batter Hashmatullah Shahidi was on Tuesday named captain of the Afghanistan squad which will play a one-off Test and three ODIs against India from June 6 to June 20.

While the ODI squad features top players including Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Ibrahim Zadran, the Test team comprises a blend of experienced campaigners and emerging talent, with Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Azmatullah Omarzai forming the core of the batting group.

Wicketkeepers Afsar Zazai and Ikram Alikhil have also been included, while the spin department will rely on Sharafudin Ashraf and Qais Ahmad.

Bilal Sami, Zia Sharifi and Saleem Safi will spearhead the pace department.

Interestingly, Afghanistan have opted for a slightly different combination in the ODI setup, bringing back seasoned stars Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan for the white-ball leg of the tour.

Young opener Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal and Darwish Rasooli bolster the batting unit, while AM Ghazanfar and Bilal Sami add depth to the bowling attack.

Young spinner Ghazanfar was rewarded for his exploits in the IPL. He snapped 15 wickets in 11 games for Mumbai Indians.

Afghanistan will start their tour with a one-off Test from June 6 to 10 at New Chandigarh before embarking on a three-match ODI series. The first ODI will be held on June 14 at Dharamsala, followed by the second game on June 17 at Lucknow and the third ODI on June 20 in Chennai.

Squad for one-off Test: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmanullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafudin Ashraf, Nangyal Kharotai, Qais Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Zia Sharifi, Saleem Safi.

Reserve Pool: Bashir Ahmad, Bahir Shah, Ismat Alam.

Squad for the ODI series: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (WK), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharotai, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Malik, Bilal Sami.

Reserve Pool: Qais Ahmad, Saleem Safi, Bashir Ahmad.

(With inputs from agencies.)