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2 min readMar 5, 2026 07:57 PM IST
Rashid Khan became the first player to take 700 T20 wickets over the course of the 2026 T20 World Cup. (AP Photo)
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Thursday announced that it has appointed batter Ibrahim Zadran as the team’s new captain, thus ending Rashid Khan’s tenure in the role. Zadran had been vice-captain to Rashid in the format and has led the team 11 times in the past. The 24-year-old has scored 1865 runs in 65 innings at an average of 33.30 and strike rate of 114.83. He is the fourth-highest T20I run scorer for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan had reached the semifinal of the 2024 T20 World Cup under Rashid’s captaincy. Considered the face of Afghanistan cricket, Rashid became the first bowler to take 700 T20 wickets over the course of the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, Afghanistan failed to make it past the group stage, losing two of the four matches that they played in Group D. This included a heartbreaking defeat to South Africa which was decided only after two Super Overs.
“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,” said the ACB in its statement.
“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.” Afghanistan made the announcement as part of their larger announcement of the squads for their upcoming series against Sri Lanka. The three T20Is are scheduled to be played on March 13, 15 and 17 whereas the ODIs are set to be played on March 20, 22 and 25.
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