Afghanistan name Ibrahim Zadran as T20I captain for the India series

Afghanistan have announced their squad for an upcoming three-match T20 International series against India, and the headline news is at the top of the team sheet. Opening batter Ibrahim Zadran will lead the side, taking over full-time T20I captaincy duties from leg-spinner Rashid Khan.

The squad keeps most of Afghanistan's familiar names. Rashid Khan and veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi are both included, as are wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, all-rounders Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib, and spinners Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman. Fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq returns after a spell out with a shoulder injury.

The announcement is what pushed the topic up India's search charts. Reports say the series is scheduled for mid-September in New Delhi, giving both teams competitive cricket in the run-up to a busy stretch of the calendar. For Indian fans, it is an early look at how a Zadran-led Afghanistan lines up, and a reminder that the two sides have built a genuinely watchable T20 rivalry over the last few years.