Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has picked Afghanistan’s probable XI for the 2025 Asia Cup. He added that the tournament could see an India-Afghanistan final if Sri Lanka doesn’t play well. The 2025 Asia Cup will take place in the UAE from September 9 onwards. Afghanistan will play the first match against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi before facing Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in their other two Group B games at the same venue as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Ibrahim Zadran with Rahmanullah Gurbaz, then Sediqullah Atal and Darwish Rasooli, and after that, Azmatullah Omarzai and Karim Jannat, Rashid Khan after Mohammad Nabi, and then Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad and Naveen-ul-Haq.”
“I feel this could be the XI for now. Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Allah Ghazanfar can also play. They can make plenty of changes and make their bowling even better. You make them contenders if you give pitches to their liking. I was talking about an India-Sri Lanka final yesterday, but if it isn’t an India-Sri Lanka final, an India-Afghanistan final is also a great possibility,” Chopra shared.
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However, Aakash Chopra also picked the excellent blend of experience and youth as one of Afghanistan’s strengths heading into the 2025 Asia Cup as well.
“It’s a good mixture of experience and youth. They have the experience of Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, and you will also see Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz there. You will see strikers and anchors, and an all-rounder in Azmatullah Omarzai. It’s a very well-balanced and a good healthy mix of experience and youth,” he said.
“The second incredible thing about them is their spin department. Rashid Khan is back. You get Noor Ahmad along with him. If you manage one, you will get trapped by the other. If you manage there, Mohammad Nabi bowls very well. If they wish, they have Allah Ghazanfar as well. They can play with four spinners, which means they can bowl 16 overs of spin,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
