Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been included in the squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series in India. He was not part of the national side for the T20I series in the UAE and was instead playing for Melbourne Renegades in the BBL. However, his BBL stint was cut short after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) revoked his No-Objection Certificate (NoC) for the remainder of the BBL.
The ACB had announced that Mujeeb and two other players would be sanctioned for not signing central contracts for 2024. However, the other two players have since featured for Afghanistan after demonstrating a strong desire to represent their country again.
The T20Is in India will mark Mujeeb’s first appearance since July 2023. He is part of a spin attack that includes Rashid Khan, Qais Ahmad, and Noor Ahmad. Rashid, Afghanistan’s T20I captain, has been included in the squad but is unlikely to play due to his recovery from back surgery. Ibrahim Zadran will captain the side in India.
Afghanistan’s chairman expressed delight at the upcoming series against India, stating that the team is no longer underdogs and has excelled well in recent times. This will be the first bilateral T20I series between Afghanistan and India.
The series will take place on January 11, 14, and 17 before both teams prepare for the T20 World Cup in June.
