Afghanistan A: Defending Champions Reload with Spin Firepower for Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025
Doha, 14 November 2025They came, they spun, they conquered. A year after Afghanistan A stunned Sri Lanka A in the 2024 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup final in Oman, the defending champions have named a 15-member squad for the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 that blends continuity, youthful audacity, and that trademark Afghan spin chokehold. Announced on 5 November 2025, this unit arrives in Doha not as dark horses but as the team to beat.Led by Sediqullah Atal (vice-captain in 2024, now elevated to captaincy), and guided on the field by the experienced Darwish Rasooli as official captain, Afghanistan A has retained the core of their title-winning side while injecting teenage pace and mystery spin. The average age? A sprightly 22.8 years. The mission? Back-to-back glory in the T20 format at West End Park International Cricket Stadium.
Leadership Duo: Experience Meets Aggression
- Darwish Rasooli (c) – 25y 328d
Top-order enforcer. Right-hand bat, occasional offbreak. Rasooli’s 347 runs in the 2023-24 domestic season included a blistering 108* off 124 balls. Calm under pressure, he anchored chases in the 2024 final. - Sediqullah Atal (vc) – 24y 85d
Left-handed opener. Fearless. His match-winning 83* against Pakistan A in the 2024 semi-final announced his arrival. Promoted to captaincy, Atal brings flair and street-smart aggression.
Batting Core: Power, Poise, and a Teenage Keeper
| Player | Role | Age | Key Trait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Ishaq † | Wicketkeeper-Batter | 20y 277d | Compact technique, sharp glovework. Scored 215 runs @ 43 in Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day tournament. |
| Rahmanullah | Middle-order Batter | 22y 352d | Elegant strokeplayer. Known for 360° range. Expected to bat at No. 3 or 4. |
| Zubaid Akbari | Batting Allrounder | 25y 188d | Left-hand bat, SLA. 312 runs in last Emerging Cup. Crucial floater. |
All-round Firepower: Left-Arm Variety GaloreAfghanistan A boasts three left-arm spinning all-rounders — a tactical nightmare for right-hand heavy oppositions.
- Nangeyalia Kharote (21y 194d) – SLA + Left-hand bat
Star of the 2024 U19 World Cup. Took 14 wickets @ 11.5 in Emerging Cup last year. - Farmanullah (24y 236d) – Left-hand bat, Right-arm MF
Seam-bowling allrounder. Provides lower-order muscle and crucial overs in the powerplay. - Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai (22y 133d) – Right-hand bat, Right-arm Medium
Hard-hitting finisher. Struck at 145 in domestic T20s.
Bowling Arsenal: Spin to Win, Pace to ShockSpin Department (The Choke Artists)
| Bowler | Age | Style | Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|
| AM Ghazanfar | 19y 230d | Offbreak/Legbreak | Mystery spinner. 17 wickets @ 9.8 in 2024 Emerging Cup. |
| Qais Ahmad | 25y 82d | Legbreak | Proven match-winner. 98 T20 wickets @ 21. |
| Nangeyalia Kharote | 21y | SLA | Skiddy, accurate, lethal in middle overs. |
Pace Battery (Raw Speed Meets Swing)
- Faridoon Dawoodzai (19y 344d) – Left-arm Fast
Touches 140 kph. Swing both ways. Took 4/22 on first-class debut. - Bilal Sami (21y 319d) – Right-arm Medium
Skiddy hit-the-deck bowler. Ideal for Doha’s true bounce. - Abdollah Ahmadzai (22y 132d) – Right-arm MF
New-ball swing + yorker specialist.
Support Staff (Confirmed)
- Head Coach: Raees Ahmadzai
- Assistant Coach: Samiullah Shinwari
- Bowling Coach: Dawlat Zadran
- Physio: Dr. Abdul Qayum
Tactical Blueprint: How Afghanistan A Will Defend the Title
- Powerplay Aggression: Atal + Zubaid to attack with the field up.
- Middle-Overs Strangle: Ghazanfar + Qais + Kharote = 12 overs of spin suffocation.
- Death Bowling: Faridoon + Bilal + Ijaz = yorkers and wide-line discipline.
- Flexibility: Rasooli and Rahmanullah can bat anywhere from 3 to 6.
Schedule Snapshot (Group A)
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Nov | Sri Lanka A | West End Park | 4:30 PM |
| 17 Nov | Bangladesh A | West End Park | 12:00 PM |
| 19 Nov | Hong Kong | West End Park | 12:00 PM |
Top 2 advance to semifinals on 21 Nov. Final: 23 Nov.
Ones to Watch
- AM Ghazanfar: Could be the tournament’s highest wicket-taker.
- Faridoon Dawoodzai: A left-arm teen pacer in Qatar’s breeze? Dangerous.
- Sediqullah Atal: Captaincy will test his decision-making under pressure.
Final VerdictThis isn’t just a defending champion—it’s a spin-heavy, battle-hardened unit with depth in batting, variety in bowling, and hunger in leadership. Sri Lanka A and Bangladesh A will challenge, but Afghanistan A’s combination of mystery spin + youthful pace + fearless batting makes them the team to beat.
“We don’t rebuild. We reload.” – Sediqullah Atal, Captain
The Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025 begins today. Afghanistan A? They’re not just participating.
They’re hunting history.Live on Sony Sports | Stream on Sony LIV
