Rasooli to captain Afghanistan at Asian Games

Six uncapped players receive call-ups for the continental event

Afghanistan have entrusted Darwish Rasooli with the captaincy for the 2026 Asian Games after naming a youthful squad containing six uncapped players.

The 15-man squad features only a small core of experienced internationals, with Rasooli, Karim Janat and Najibullah Zadran expected to guide a group dominated by emerging players.

All-rounder Nangeyalia Kharote is the only other member of the squad with more than 10 international appearances and is set to play a key role in Afghanistan’s spin attack.

National selectors have heavily rewarded performances in the Shpageeza Cricket League, with several standout performers earning places in the squad.

Batter Mohammad Akram secured selection after finishing as the second-leading run-scorer in the most recent edition of the tournament, while Khalid Taniwal’s aggressive batting, which produced the competition’s second-highest strike rate, also earned him a call-up.

Ismat Alam, one of only a handful of players with previous international experience, returns after an exceptional domestic campaign. The seam-bowling all-rounder was named Player of the Tournament in the Shpageeza Cricket League after scoring 294 runs and taking nine wickets.

Promising youngsters Faisal Shinozada and Hassan Eisakhil were also included. Shinozada attracted attention with a century against India in the Under-19 World Cup semi-final earlier this year, while Eisakhil follows in the footsteps of his father, Afghanistan veteran Mohammad Nabi.

Fast bowler Farmanullah strengthened his case for selection by taking 10 wickets to finish as the leading wicket-taker in the recent one-day tri-series involving Afghanistan A, Sri Lanka A and India A.

Apart from specialist spinners Kharote and Arab Gul Momand, Afghanistan have opted for a pace-heavy attack featuring Farmanullah, Abdollah Ahmadzai and Faridoon Dawoodzai, with Janat and Ismat providing additional seam-bowling options.

The Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 24 to October 3.

Squad: Darwish Rasooli (captain), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Mohammad Akram, Hassan Eisakhil, Khalid Taniwal, Imran Mir, Faisal Shinozada, Najibullah Zadran, Farmanullah, Ismat Alam, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Arab Gul Momand, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Abdollah Ahmadzai.