All-rounder Gulbadin Naib mentioned Afghanistan will look to profit from their “second dwelling” India throughout their Males’s T20 World Cup 2026 marketing campaign. In 2024, the Afghans surprised Australia to achieve the semi-finalsearlier than South Africa—who went on to complete as runners-up—knocked them out with a nine-wicket win after bowling them out for 56.
Having already tasted a semi-final, Afghanistan will carry the burden of expectations. However Naib, a veteran of greater than a decade in Afghan cricket, mentioned the crew is concentrated not on strain however on pushing themselves additional than final time and concentrating on the title.
At the moment that includes within the ILT20, Naib added that Afghan gamers will not face main challenges in India, given their expertise in opposition to top-quality bowlers within the Indian Premier League and different international leagues.
“There’s nothing like that – even T20 cricket is not all about expectation; it is concerning the sport. It is about the way you put together your self and the way you play. T20 cricket particularly fits us, fits Afghanistan,” Gulbadin instructed India At present in an interplay organized by Dubai Capitals.
“Fortunately, our gamers are enjoying in leagues all around the world, and that is an enormous plus for us. And with the T20 World Cup occurring in India, it seems like dwelling – our second dwelling. We have performed a number of cricket there: in Dehradun, in Lucknow, and naturally, a lot of our gamers have loads of IPL expertise as effectively. Virtually each crew has one or two Afghan gamers enjoying often.
“So the situations in India will not be too difficult for us. We’re wanting ahead to enjoying good cricket there. As for expectations, sure, we do have a number of them. However once more, it is all concerning the sport. If we will push ourselves simply 10 per cent greater than what we did within the final World Cup, it might make an enormous distinction,” Gulbadin mentioned.
FOCUS ON WORLD CUP
Afghanistan have had a roller-coaster 12 months in T20 cricket. They did not qualify for the tri-series ultimate within the UAE, which additionally featured Pakistan, after which crashed out within the opening spherical of the Asia Cup after back-to-back losses to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, they bounced again strongly with a 3–0 sequence win over Zimbabwe, adopted by a victory over Qatar in a one-off T20I in Doha.
Naib, who has performed 78 T20Is and 89 ODIs since his debut in 2011, mentioned Afghanistan approached each sequence with the 2026 T20 World Cup in thoughts. He added that blooding new gamers—together with Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli and others—was one of many crew’s key targets throughout these matches.
“Yeah, we had a couple of challenges at the moment. When you may have new faces within the crew — the junior guys — you give them probabilities and begin constructing a brand new crew for the subsequent World Cup. Due to that transition, we did not make it to the tri-series ultimate, and we did not win that event. After the Asia Cup, we did not qualify for the semi-finals both,” Gulbadin mentioned.
“However that was all a part of the plan. While you’re attempting one thing totally different and looking forward to a serious occasion just like the T20 World Cup, your essential purpose is not the Asia Cup or the tri-series. The administration was centered fully on getting ready for the T20 World Cup and giving alternatives to youthful gamers.
“They introduced in a number of new faces — Darwish Rasooli, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad, the quick bowler, and even Sediq Atal, who performed at quantity three,” Gulbadin added.
Within the T20 World Cup, Afghanistan are positioned in Group D alongside New Zealand, South Africa, the UAE and Canada. They may open their marketing campaign in opposition to the Black Caps on Sunday, February 8, on the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
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