New Delhi [India], August 24 (ANI): Afghanistan on Sunday unveiled a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, scheduled to be played from September 9 to 28 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Afghanistan will face Hong Kong in the opening game of the Asia Cup on September 9. The tournament, taking place from September 9-28 in the United Arab Emirates, will feature eight teams competing for the coveted trophy. The event will be played in T20I format and will form an essential preparation for sides ahead of next year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Experienced spinner Rashid Khan will captain the side, while white-ball stars Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Mohammad Nabi, who helped Afghanistan qualify for the knockout stage of last year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup, are also included.

Before the Asia Cup, Afghanistan will also face the hosts, UAE and Pakistan, in a T20I Tri-Nation Series, starting this Friday in Sharjah, which will feature most of the 22-member preliminary squad, previously announced by the ACB earlier this month.

India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman are in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Hong Kong are in Group B.

Afghanistan squad for Asia Cup 2025: Rashid Khan (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Allah Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Farid Malik, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Reserves: Wafiullah Tarakhil, Nangyal Kharote, Abdullah Ahmadzai.

Afghanistan preliminary squad: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Nangyal Kharoti, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mujeeb Zadran, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen ul Haq, Farid Malik, Saleem Safi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad. (ANI)