Afghanistan has slowly developed its skills in the batting and bowling departments to compete with the strong and upper teams. Going into the Asia Cup 2025, starting from September 09, they will have a good chance to get enough preparation and scope to gather information as they face Pakistan and the UAE in a tri-series in Sharjah.

Their board has virtually named the same squad for both competitions, with only Naveen-ul-Haq missing from the tri-series. These games will be their first white-ball encounters since the end of the Champions Trophy in February 2025. Due to the presence of their captain, Rashid Khan, premier all-rounder Mohammed Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmed, and the new inclusion of Allah Ghazanfar, they will have a great chance in the event.

See Also: Top 3 players to watch from India ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Afghanistan is placed in the group with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong, with whom they will lock horns in the curtain raiser on September 09 in Abu Dhabi.

Top 3 players to watch from Afghanistan ahead of Asia Cup 2025

3. Rashid Khan

There was hardly any doubt in selecting the T20I captain of the Afghanistan side, Rashid Khan, who just became the leading wicket-taker in T20Is, surpassing New Zealand’s Tim Southee. He currently has picked up 165 wickets in 98 T20I innings at an average of 13.75 and a strike rate of 13.50 with an economy rate of an inch over six.

In the two games of the tri-series, Rashid has already picked up four wickets, besides his lower-order contribution of 39 runs against Pakistan. It wasn’t a great IPL 2025 for the Gujarat Titans’ bowler, who collected only nine wickets in 15 innings at an economy rate of 9.34.

However, after missing the MLC 2025, Rashid made a thumping comeback for the winning franchise of The Hundred 2025, Oval Invincibles, for whom he picked up 12 wickets in six innings at an average of 13.66 and an economy rate of 8.20. His role, along with batting and bowling, will be crucial in the experience department and the leadership duties.

2. Mohammed Nabi

Even at the fag end of his career, the former Afghanistan captain, Mohammed Nabi, remains a vital member of the shortest format. In 125 innings of the T20Is, the right-handed batter has clubbed 2240 runs at an average of 22.40 and a strike rate of 135.62, with the help of six half-centuries at the best score of 89 runs. With the ball, he picked up 99 wickets in 124 innings at an economy rate of 7.28.

In overall T20s, the 40-year-old has pocketed 6399 runs in 378 innings of T20s at an average of 21.04 and a strike rate of 134.60 with the help of 17 half-centuries at the best score of 89. With the ball, he picked up 385 wickets at an economy rate of under seven.

Nabi will be vital for Afghanistan’s bowling in the middle overs as he will contribute with several wickets. Moreover, his presence as an experienced campaigner is an added advantage.

1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the wicket-keeper batter of the Afghanistan side, has smashed 1728 runs in 68 innings in the shortest format at an average of 25.21 and a strike rate of nearly 134 with the help of 10 fifties and one century. His experience with the glove and at the opening position will be equally important.

In an overall 226 T20 innings, the right-handed batter has drilled 5494 runs at an average of around 25 and a strike rate of 146.23 with the help of 34 half-centuries and two centuries at the best score of unbeaten 121 runs.

He batted well in the first game of the tri-series against Pakistan, but couldn’t repeat the same show against the UAE. But Afghanistan needs him to fire at the top.