Afghanistan National Cricket Team Matches: Full Guide to 2026 Schedule, Records & Rise

Introduction

The Afghanistan national cricket team is no longer just a “surprise package”. They are now a real force in world cricket.

In 2024, Afghanistan made history by reaching the T20 World Cup semi-final. In 2026, they played the Asia Cup, the T20 World Cup, the Asian Games, and series against India, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe.

For Indian fans, Afghanistan feels like a second home team. They play many matches in India and Sharjah. Players like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz are household names in the IPL.

This article covers everything about Afghanistan national cricket team matches: full 2026 schedule, recent results, key players, and what to expect next. Whether you are a big fan or a new follower, this guide will help you understand this exciting team.

Afghanistan Cricket Team 2026 Full Schedule

2026 was a very busy year for Afghanistan. Here is the full match list.

March 2026: Sri Lanka Series

Afghanistan toured Sri Lanka for 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs. This was Ibrahim Zadran’s first series as the new T20I captain.

• T20I series started on March 13
• ODI series started on March 20
• This was important preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup

April-May 2026: T20 Tri-Series & Asia Cup

Afghanistan played a T20 tri-series in UAE with Pakistan and UAE. Then they moved to the Asia Cup.

• Tri-series was played in Sharjah
• Asia Cup started on September 9
• Afghanistan was in Group B with Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka

June 2026: Historic India Tour

Afghanistan traveled to India for a bilateral series. This was a big moment for both countries.

• Only Test match: June 6-10, New Chandigarh
• 3 ODIs: June 14 (Dharamsala), June 17 (Lucknow), June 20 (Chennai)
• This was the first ever ODI bilateral series between India and Afghanistan

September 2026: T20I Series vs India

India hosted Afghanistan for 3 T20Is in Delhi.

• First T20I: September 13 at Arun Jaitley Stadium
• India won by 7 wickets
• Afghanistan scored 156/8
• Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi added 83 runs for the 6th wicket
• But India chased it down in just 13.4 overs
• Abhishek Sharma hit 82 off 32 balls

The third T20I was a disaster for Afghanistan. They lost by 127 runs after being bowled out for just 94. India won the series 3-0.

September-October 2026: Asian Games

Afghanistan played in the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.

• First match vs Japan: Afghanistan won by 48 runs
• Afghanistan scored 129/6 in 20 overs
• Japan were bowled out for 81 in 19.3 overs
• Arab Gul Momand took amazing figures of 4/8, including 2 maiden overs

October-November 2026: Home Series in UAE

Afghanistan will play a packed schedule in UAE (their adopted home).

• One-off Test vs Bangladesh: October 9-13, Abu Dhabi
• ODI Tri-Series (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe): October 17-23, Abu Dhabi & Sharjah
• 3 T20Is vs Zimbabwe: October 27, 29, November 1, Sharjah
• 2 Tests vs Zimbabwe: November 5-9 and November 13-17, Sharjah

Asia Cup 2026 Review: Nabi’s Magic Not Enough

Afghanistan’s Asia Cup campaign had big highs and painful lows.

Group Stage: Win vs Hong Kong, Loss vs Bangladesh

• First match: Afghanistan beat Hong Kong by 94 runs
• Second match: Afghanistan lost to Bangladesh by 8 runs
• That loss made qualification very tough

Super Four: Nabi’s 22-Ball 60

In the must-win match vs Sri Lanka, Mohammad Nabi played a stunning innings.

• Nabi scored 60 runs off just 22 balls
• He hit 3 fours and 6 sixes
• Afghanistan scored 169/8
• But Sri Lanka scored 53 runs in the powerplay and never looked back
• Afghanistan lost by 6 wickets and were knocked out

Coach Trott’s Honest Words

Head coach Jonathan Trott was very direct after the match.

• “It’s a very disappointing loss, hard to take.”
• “We didn’t start well in the powerplay. Too many basic errors — with bat, ball, and field — cost us.”
• Trott also revealed that captain Rashid Khan fell on his back during the match but still completed his overs. This is worrying because Rashid has a history of back surgery.

T20 World Cup 2026: Big Letdown After 2024 Heroics

In 2024, Afghanistan reached the T20 World Cup semi-final. Fans hoped for even more in 2026.

Group D

Afghanistan was placed in Group D with:

• New Zealand
• South Africa
• UAE
• Canada

Result: Group Stage Exit

Afghanistan failed to qualify for the Super 8. This was a big disappointment.

This led to major changes:

• Rashid Khan stepped down as T20I captain
• Ibrahim Zadran became the new T20I captain
• Richard Pybus was appointed as new head coach

Key Players: New Captain, Big Absences

Ibrahim Zadran: New T20I Captain

In March 2026, the Afghanistan Cricket Board made a big decision. Ibrahim Zadran replaced Rashid Khan as T20I captain.

ACB chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimanikhil explained:

• “Rashid Khan brought huge success as T20I captain, especially the 2024 World Cup semi-final.”
• “As per ACB’s long-term strategy, we decided to make a leadership transition in T20Is.”

Zadran already showed leadership skills during the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Rashid Khan: Rest Recommended for Tests

Rashid Khan’s situation needs special attention.

• He was rested for the October-November Test series
• ACB said: “He is not recommended for longer format matches at this stage”
• But he remains in the ODI squad for the tri-series
• His back injury in the Asia Cup was a fresh concern

For Afghanistan, Rashid is still the heart of the team. But managing his workload is a big challenge for the coaches.

Mohammad Nabi: The Evergreen All-Rounder

Nabi proved in the Asia Cup that he is still Afghanistan’s most reliable big-match player.

• His 60 off 22 balls vs Sri Lanka was one of the best innings of the tournament
• Even at this stage of his career, his experience is priceless for a young team
• But he was left out of the T20I squad for the Zimbabwe series

Big Absentees

For the October-November series, these key players are missing:

• Rashid Khan (rested for Tests)
• Ibrahim Zadran (rested for Tests)
• Mohammad Nabi (out of T20I series)
• Darwish Rasooli (out of both T20I and ODI squads)

Test Cricket: One Historic Win, Many Hard Lessons

Afghanistan’s Test journey has seen extreme highs and lows.

Historic Moment: Beating Bangladesh in 2019

In September 2019, Afghanistan created history.

• They beat Bangladesh by 224 runs in their home venue (in India)
• This was Afghanistan’s first ever Test win
• Rashid Khan took 11 wickets in the match and was Player of the Match

Hard Reality: 1 Win in 6 Tests vs Top 8

Against the “top eight” teams (India, England, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, New Zealand, Bangladesh), Afghanistan’s record is tough:

• 6 matches, 1 win, 5 losses
• The only win was vs Bangladesh in 2019
• In June 2026, Afghanistan lost to India by an innings and a big margin

Test Squad Changes

For the October-November Tests vs Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, Afghanistan made big changes:

• Returns: Ismat Alam, Yamin Ahmadzai
• New face: Shahidullah Kamal, who scored 538 runs at an average of 76.85 in domestic cricket
• Pace option: Yamin Ahmadzai took 42 wickets at an average of 12.73 in domestic cricket

Afghanistan Cricket Team Matches: Key Stats Table

Conclusion: Final Verdict

Afghanistan cricket is at a turning point.

The 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final was the peak. But the 2026 T20 World Cup group stage exit and Asia Cup Super Four exit show a simple truth: the talent is there, but consistency is not.

The good news:

• Afghanistan’s ODI ranking is a solid 7th in the world
• T20I ranking is 10th, just 1 point behind Sri Lanka
• The ODI record vs Zimbabwe is 19 wins in 21 matches — they beat the teams they should beat
• Ibrahim Zadran’s captaincy marks a new generation of leadership

The challenges:

• Test cricket is still the biggest weakness — 1 win in 6 matches vs top teams shows T20 skills don’t always work in five-day cricket
• Too much dependence on key players — when Rashid Khan is not at his best or Nabi can’t play a miracle innings, the team struggles
• Basic errors — Coach Trott’s point about “basic mistakes” is a pattern, not a one-time problem

My verdict: Afghanistan don’t need to become a Test powerhouse to prove themselves. Their value in white-ball cricket is already clear — the 2024 semi-final was not luck. The real question is: how do they build a system before Rashid Khan and Nabi retire? The October-November series vs Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will show if the next generation is ready.

FAQ Section

1. What matches does the Afghanistan national cricket team play in 2026?
Asia Cup, T20 World Cup, Asian Games, series vs India, and multi-format series vs Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in October-November.

2. How did Afghanistan perform in the 2026 Asia Cup?
They reached the Super Four but were knocked out after losing to Sri Lanka. Mohammad Nabi scored 60 off 22 balls in that match.

3. Did Afghanistan qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup Super 8?
No. They failed to get out of Group D (New Zealand, South Africa, UAE, Canada).

4. Who is the new Afghanistan T20I captain?
Ibrahim Zadran. He replaced Rashid Khan in March 2026.

5. What is Afghanistan’s ODI world ranking?
7th, with 93 rating points (after the May 2026 annual update).

6. Has Afghanistan ever won a Test match?
Yes. Their first Test win was vs Bangladesh in September 2019, by 224 runs.

7. Why is Rashid Khan missing Test matches?
The ACB advised him to rest, keeping his back surgery history and workload in mind. He is still in the ODI squad.

8. What is Afghanistan’s ODI record vs Zimbabwe?
Excellent. They have won 19 out of 21 matches — a 90.47% win rate.

9. How did Afghanistan do at the Asian Games?
They beat Japan by 48 runs in their first match. Arab Gul Momand took 4/8 with 2 maiden overs.

10. What is Afghanistan’s head-to-head record vs India?
In ODIs: 9 matches, 0 wins (1 tie, 1 no result). In T20Is: they have never beaten India.

11. Where does Afghanistan play its home matches?
In UAE (Abu Dhabi and Sharjah), because they cannot host international matches at home.

12. Who are Afghanistan’s future star players?
Ibrahim Zadran (new T20I captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Shahidullah Kamal, and Yamin Ahmadzai.