Rahmat Shah Appointed Afghanistan ODI and Test Captain Following Hashmatullah Shahidi’s Resignation
Rahmat Shah’s first major challenge in charge will be leading the national side during their upcoming white-ball tour of Ireland.
Experienced top-order batter Rahmat Shah has been named as Afghanistan’s new One Day International and Test captain, succeeding Hashmatullah Shahidi who stepped down from the role after a four-and-a-half-year tenure. The leadership transition follows Afghanistan's 3–0 ODI series defeat against India. Shahidi, who was previously served by Rahmat Shah as his vice-captain in both red-ball and 50-over formats, confirmed his decision to relinquish the captaincy to focus on his individual batting while remaining fully available for national selection. Hashmatullah Shahidi Resigns as Afghanistan ODI Captain After Four-and-a-Half-Year Reign.
Rahmat Shah Takes Over
𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓! 🚨@RahmatShah_08 has been appointed Afghanistan’s new Test and ODI captain, with @RGurbaz_21 named as his deputy. The leadership change follows @Hashmat_50’s resignation from the role last evening. 👍
🔗: https://t.co/rWDxUG15Sj… pic.twitter.com/X8GKHETq9q
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) July 22, 2026
Rahmat, 33, brings extensive international experience to the leadership role. Having previously served as vice-captain and briefly held red-ball leadership responsibilities, he is widely viewed as a stabilizing presence within Afghanistan's middle order. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) endorsed Rahmat's promotion to maintain continuity across both formats as the national team prepares for upcoming international commitments, including a five-match ODI series in Ireland.
Shahidi’s reign as ODI skipper, which began in early 2022, oversaw one of the most competitive periods in Afghanistan’s 50-over history. Under his leadership, Afghanistan recorded 27 victories in 55 matches, highlighted by landmark wins against England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands during the 2023 ODI World Cup. Happy Birthday Trent Boult! Celebrating New Zealand's Pace Icon As WTC-Winner Turns 37.
His captaincy period also saw series wins over Bangladesh, South Africa, Ireland, and Zimbabwe. Shahidi signed off his captaincy on a personal high, scoring his maiden ODI century (102) in his final match in charge against India in Chennai.
Rahmat Shah’s first major challenge in charge will be leading the national side during their upcoming white-ball tour of Ireland, followed by upcoming Test assignments later in the international calendar.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 22, 2026 05:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
