AICHI-NAGOYA, JAPAN — Afghanistan will enter the 2026 Asian Games cricket competition with a squad built around emerging talent as the country attempts to turn a remarkable sequence of silver medals into another challenge for the podium.
The men’s tournament begins on September 24 for Afghanistan, with Darwish Rasooli’s side opening against hosts Japan before meeting Nepal on September 25.
Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal form Group A. The top two teams advance to the knockout stage, where India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh enter after receiving first-round byes.
Afghanistan’s 15-player squad is captained by Rasooli and includes experienced names Najibullah Zadran and Karim Janat alongside a significant group of younger players.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board named Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Akram, Hassan Eisakhil, Khalid Taniwal, Imran Mir, Faisal Khan Shinozada, Farmanullah Safi, Ismat Alam, Nangyal Kharoti, Arab Gul Momand, Faridoon Dawoodzai and Abdullah Ahmadzai among the squad.
Several earned selection following performances in Afghanistan’s domestic Shpageeza Cricket League. ACB highlighted Mohammad Akram’s 339 runs in eight innings and Ismat Alam’s all-round contribution of 294 runs and nine wickets.
The tournament also offers Afghanistan an opportunity to continue one of the country’s strongest records at the Asian Games.
Afghanistan have collected silver medals in each of their three previous Asian Games men’s cricket appearances. At the previous edition, the gold-medal match against India was abandoned because of rain, with India awarded gold on higher seeding.
This time, Afghanistan’s pathway begins against two opponents rather than with direct entry into the knockout rounds.
The group winner is scheduled to face Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals on September 29, while the Group A runner-up would meet India on September 28. The semi-finals are scheduled for October 1, with the bronze-medal match and final on October 3.
For Afghanistan, the competition therefore represents more than another international tournament. It will test whether a squad combining a small experienced core with a new generation can maintain the country’s exceptional Asian Games cricket record.
