Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Afghanistan’s prized off-spinner, has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to an injury, just as his team advances to the Super Eight stage. The 23-year-old has made significant contributions to Afghanistan’s cricket in recent years. With a record of 46 T20 International appearances and 59 wickets, Mujeeb has maintained an impressive career economy rate of 6.35.

However, in this tournament, Mujeeb’s participation was brief. He only featured in one of Afghanistan’s Group C matches, where he delivered a commendable performance, taking 1/16 in three overs against Uganda. Unfortunately, the spinner sustained an injury to the joint of his right index finger, severe enough to end his participation in the tournament.

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The unfortunate news was confirmed recently, leaving Afghanistan to look for a swift replacement. The ICC Event Technical Committee has approved Afghanistan’s request to substitute Mujeeb with Hazratullah Zazai, the designated travelling reserve.

Mujeeb’s absence is a significant blow to the Afghanistan squad, given his match-winning capabilities and extensive international experience. Yet, the team remains optimistic as they progress to the next stage of the tournament. Hazratullah Zazai, known for his explosive batting, will need to step up and fill the void left by Mujeeb, albeit in a different role.

The Afghans are currently sitting on top of the table with 6 points and a net run rate of +4.230 thanks to wins in all 3 of their matches. They began with a victory over Uganda, after which they defeated the Black Caps by 84 runs. On Friday, Afghanistan beat Papua New Guinea by 7 wickets and secured their Super 8 berth.

Updated Afghanistan squad for T20 World Cup 2024

Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Hazratullah Zazai.

Reserves: Sediq Atal, Saleem Safi