Rashid Khan drops T20 World Cup 2026 hint after Afghanistan supremacy over West Indies

Rashid Khan speaks on T20 World Cup 2026 [Image Credits: X]

The first T20I clash of the three-match series between Afghanistan and West Indies was comfortably won by the Rashid Khan-led side. Afghanistan secured a 38-run victory after the West Indies struggled to chase a target of 182 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Rashid Khan, who returned to lead the national side after extensive franchise commitments around the world, shared his enthusiasm ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. Speaking after the match, Rashid, who picked up two wickets for 19 runs in his four overs, spoke at length about the importance of the opening win.

Rashid Khan confident with Afghanistan team leading to T20 World Cup 2026

The Afghanistan skipper expressed happiness and positivity about returning to the national jersey after stints in the Indian T20 league and SA20, where he represented MI Emirates and MI Cape Town, respectively. He also highlighted the growing confidence within the Afghanistan squad ahead of the T20 World Cup.

“Very proud to put on the Afghanistan jersey. As a team we are looking fit and we will have a good World Cup,” Khan said.

Rashid Khan, who endured an average outing in the SA20 2025–26, finished the tournament with six wickets from seven innings. In the ILT20, he managed four wickets from five innings with the ball.

Did Rashid Khan hint at World Cup Playing XI combination?

More importantly, while speaking about team combinations for the West Indies series and future planning for the T20 World Cup 2026, Rashid Khan offered a subtle hint about Afghanistan’s approach.

He explained that the ongoing T20I series against West Indies is being used as a preparatory phase, and the playing XI is likely to closely resemble Afghanistan’s probable T20 World Cup combination.

“We want to go with our proper playing XI - what will be the best for us in India. These 3 games are a good opportunity for us. We will go with the same energy," Khan said.

Later, while explaining the decision to bat first on the Dubai surface, Rashid Khan expressed strong confidence in the team’s all-round abilities, both with the bat and the ball.

“The bowling unit we have, batting first gives us a great opportunity. We don't think much about batting first or second as long as we bring our best skills on the ground,” Khan concluded.

How Afghanistan dismantled West Indies chase

In the match, Afghanistan opted to bat first and suffered an early setback when opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed for a golden duck. 

However, Ibrahim Zadran took control of the innings, scoring 87 runs off 56 deliveries at a strike rate of 155.36. 

He was well supported by Darwish Rasooli, who scored 84 runs, as the duo stitched together a 162-run partnership off 106 balls, giving Afghanistan a strong position while defending the total.

In response, West Indies faltered early, losing all their big hitters within the first nine overs. By the end of 14.2 overs, they were struggling at 95 for 6, with a steep target still ahead. 

The visitors were unable to recover as Rashid Khan, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Noor Ahmad ran through the batting line-up.