Afghanistan Youngsters Who Can Trouble India In Asian Games 2026 Quarterfinal

Team Afghanistan in Asian Games. [Source - ACB/X.com]

India will begin their Asian Games 2026 campaign against Afghanistan in the quarterfinal on Monday, September 28. Shreyas Iyer’s side will enter the knockout stage with a full-strength squad and strong expectations ahead of their first match in the tournament.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, have sent a largely inexperienced squad focused on emerging talent, but several youngsters have shown enough potential to trouble India and make an impact in the quarterfinal.

Afghanistan Squad for Asian Games 2026

Darwish Rasooli (C), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Mohammad Akram, Hassan Eisakhil, Khalid Taniwal, Imran Mir, Faisal Khan Shinozada, Najibullah Zadran, Farmanullah Safi, Ismat Alam, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Arab Gul Momand, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Abdullah Ahmadzai.

In this article, we take a look at the Afghanistan youngsters who can surprise India in the upcoming Asian Games 2026 quarterfinal.

1) Arab Gul

The first Afghanistan player who can surprise Team India in Asian Games quarterfinal is 21-year-old leg-spinner Arab Gul. He made his T20I debut against Japan in Afghanistan’s Asian Games opener and registered a record-breaking 4 for 8.

Gul is currently the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with five wickets at an excellent economy rate of 2.86. He has also struck once every 8.80 deliveries, underlining his effectiveness despite being relatively inexperienced at international level.

Arab Gul Stats

His ability to bowl quickly through the air could make him difficult for Indian batters to pick on the tricky surfaces at Korogi Sports Park. Notably, Since the 2026 T20 World Cup, India have lost 11 wickets to right-arm leg-spin at a strike-rate of 15.36.

Gul could therefore be an intriguing surprise package for Afghanistan, although some Indian batters may know him already. He was part of Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 setup as a supporting bowler, giving him useful familiarity with Indian players.

2) Faridoon Dawoodzai

The next name India need to keep an eye on in the quarterfinal is Faridoon Dawoodzai. The 20-year-old left-arm pacer made his T20I debut in this Asian Games and could trouble India with the new ball.

Dawoodzai has not picked up many wickets so far, with one scalp in the tournament, but his control has stood out. He has conceded just 4.33 runs per over in the two T20Is, making him a difficult bowler to attack.

Indian Top-order against left-arm pacers after T20 World Cup 2026

(Source - Cricmetric)

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India could face a serious threat from his angle, considering their recent struggles against left-arm pacers. Sam Curran claimed seven wickets across the recent T20I series between England and India.

Ireland’s Jai Moondra also made his T20I debut against India and picked up five wickets across two matches. With India’s top-order particularly vulnerable to left-arm pace since the T20 World Cup 2026, Dawoodzai could exploit that weakness.

3) Mohammad Akram

The third name in Afghanistan's squad that can surprise India is right-handed opener Mohammad Akram. He is playing for Afghanistan for the first time in the Asian Games and could be a dangerous option at the top of the order.

Scoring runs has not been easy at Korogi Sports Park, particularly when games go deep and the ball gets harder. That makes striking the new ball well even more important, and Akram has the ability to destroy attacks early in the innings.

Mohammad Akram T20 Stats

Akram’s recent form in the Shpageeza Cricket League 2026 further underlines his hitting ability. He finished as the second-highest run-scorer with 339 runs at a staggering 191.52 strike rate, smashing 26 sixes, with only Rahmanullah Gurbaz hitting more.

He has not been able to show his explosiveness so far in the Asian Games 2026, but his T20 numbers suggest India cannot afford to take him lightly. With 1,257 runs at a 146.84 strike rate, Akram is someone who can surprise India.

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