KABUL: The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has appointed middle-order batsman Rahmat Shah as the new captain of the national Test and ODI teams, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz named as vice-captain.
Rahmat takes over the role following the resignation of Hashmatullah Shahidi, who previously led the ODI team in 55 matches.
Rahmat had served as Shahidi’s deputy since 2021. His first assignment as captain will be the upcoming series against Ireland.
Having made his international debut in 2013, Rahmat brings extensive experience to the leadership role, having represented Afghanistan in 128 ODIs and 12 Test matches.
Afghanistan Cricket Team: Performance Report (2024–2026)
This performance report reviews the Afghanistan national cricket team’s match results, wins, and losses across all three international formats (Tests, ODIs, and T20Is) over the past two years, drawing from official match data and series outcomes leading into mid-2026.
Test Cricket: Navigating the Longest Format
Test cricket remains the most demanding arena for Afghanistan as they continue to build foundational experience. Outings in the red-ball format have been sparse and challenging.
Notably, Afghanistan faced heavy defeats in recent high-profile assignments, including a single-Test tour against Zimbabwe and a comprehensive loss against India in June 2026 at New Chandigarh, where they lost by an innings and 300 runs.
With a cumulative history of 13 Test matches yielding 4 wins and 9 losses overall, the past two years have underlined the difficulties of sustaining five-day intensity against tier-one full-member nations away from home, highlighting an urgent need for greater red-ball exposure and domestic multi-day infrastructure.
One-Day Internationals (ODIs): Steady Growth and Competitiveness
The 50-over format continues to yield some of Afghanistan’s most stable and tactically disciplined performances. Over the past 24 months, Afghanistan has capitalized heavily in conditions favoring their spin and multi-skilled core.
Notable highlights include a commanding 3-0 ODI series sweep against Bangladesh in late 2025, which featured massive victories, including a 200-run win.
However, subsequent away fixtures, such as their white-ball tour of India in June 2026, exposed vulnerabilities and resulted in a 3-0 series defeat against a strong home side.
Overall, Afghanistan remains a formidable outfit in ODIs, frequently troubling top-tier teams by successfully utilizing depth in all-rounders and balanced bowling attacks.
T20 Internationals (T20Is): The Flagship Format
T20 cricket continues to be Afghanistan’s powerhouse format, characterized by high-intensity matches, major tournament appearances, and fearless match-winners.
In late 2025, Afghanistan competed actively in regional fixtures and T20 assignments, including a T20I Tri-Series in the UAE and multi-game series against opponents like Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and the West Indies.
During major global tournaments like the T20 World Cup, Afghanistan put up strong group-stage performances, securing vital wins against associate and full-member teams alike while engaging in tightly contested battles against heavyweights.
Backed by world-class spin resources and explosive batting options at the top, Afghanistan maintains a positive win-loss momentum in the shortest format, consistently proving dangerous against any opponent on their day.
