Revealed why Sahibzada Farhan became Pakistan captain [Source: AFP]Days after India announced their squad for the Asian Games 2026, Pakistan, too, revealed their team as the selectors picked a young team, with almost all the big names left out of the squad. There is no Babar Azam, or Shaheen Afridi, but instead, youngsters have been given a chance to shine.In a surprising turn of events, Sahibzada Farhan, the opening batter, has been given the captaincy responsibilities as the aggressive player will aim to replicate the same form he showed during the Asia Cup last year.Appointing him is an interesting choice by the selectors, and here are 3 main reasons why the Pakistan management picked Sahibzada as their next T20I captain (for Asian Games).1) Sahibzada, the most experienced player in the squadAlongside Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan is the most experienced Pakistan player in their Asian Games squad, and that plays an important part in handing over the captaincy.In a short span of time, Sahibzada has played 46 games in the format and has scored enough runs to gain the trust of the management. For the Asian Games, the captaincy choice was between him and Saim Ayub, but with Ayub out of form, the management went ahead and picked his fellow opener as the next T20I captain.The pressure of international cricket is too much, and to handle that pressure, one needs a calm leader, and Sahibzada has shown this trait.2) Pakistan grooming him to replace Salman AghaSalman Agha replaced Mohammad Rizwan as the Pakistan T2OI captain in early 2025. The excitement was at an all-time high, and while Salman did manage to help the team reach the Asia Cup final, his own numbers dipped.It was almost as if captaincy took a toll on his batting, and his T20I numbers reveal the story. In 2025, Salman Agha played 34 T2OI games, and scored just 625 runs, with a strike rate of just 115.31.Also Read: Sahibzada Farhan Studded Bangladesh Premier League Set To Get Biggest Punishment In The CountryMoreover, recently, Salman Agha stated that captaincy took a burden on him, and it affected his batting. Hence, the selectors could be tempted to remove him from the post, with Sahibzada Farhan getting a chance to permanently replace him.A strong showing as the T20I captain in the Asian Games will help Sahibzada get the captaincy job from Salman Agha.3) Pakistan reward Sahibzada Farhan for excellent T20I numbersSince the start of 2025, Sahibzada Farhan has become one of the best T20I batters across the globe. He was pivotal for Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025, and was their best batter in the T20 World Cup 2026 with two centuries.In 2025, he smacked 771 runs in 26 matches and was the reason why the Pakistan side managed to reach the Asia Cup finale. Moreover, he carried the same form in the T20 World Cup, where he added 383 runs in seven matches, and was the lone warrior for the side.As a result of his excellent showing in the T20I format, the Pakistan selectors have decided to reward the opening batter with the captaincy role, as the management expects a change of guard after the Asian Games 2026.Also Read: Babar Azam Overlooked; All Big Names Out Of Pakistan Squad For Asian Games 2026
