Rahmat Shah appointed Afghanistan's ODI and Test captain: Details here
What's the story
Rahmat Shah has been named the new captain of Afghanistan's Test and ODI sides. The decision was announced by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Wednesday. The appointment comes after Hashmatullah Shahidi stepped down from his position a day earlier. Along with Rahmat, wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz has also been appointed as vice-captain for both formats. Here are further details.
Leadership legacy
Highlights of Shahidi's captaincy
Shahidi's resignation marks the end of a successful four-year term, during which Afghanistan achieved several milestones in cricket.
He was appointed captain in May 2021 and led in his last match in June 2026 against India. Under his leadership, Afghanistan won 27 out of their 55 ODIs.
The highlight of Shahidi's captaincy came at the 2023 ICC Men's ODI World Cup, where they stunned England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to finish sixth overall.
Milestones
Historic World Cup and Champions Trophy campaigns
Afghanistan's performance at the 2023 World Cup was historic as they finished sixth, their best-ever showing.
This performance also helped them qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time.
In the 2025 Champions Trophy, the Afghans managed to beat England but couldn't qualify for the semi-finals after their match against Australia was washed out.
New roles
Rahmat and Gurbaz entrusted with leadership roles
Rahmat Shah's elevation to captaincy is a natural transition as he was the vice-captain since May 2021 when Shahidi was appointed. He is also Afghanistan's leading run-scorer in Tests and ODIs.
Gurbaz has been entrusted with the vice-captaincy in both formats.
The aggressive top-order batter has established himself as one of Afghanistan's leading white-ball players and will support the new captain as the team enters a new phase.
Information
Afghanistan's first assignment
Afghanistan's first assignment under the new leadership group will be a five-match ODI series against Ireland, scheduled from August 5 to 15. The ACB congratulated Shahidi for his service, commitment, and captaincy during his time as captain and wished Rahmat every success in his new role.