Aakash Chopra picks Afghanistan's probable XI for 2025 Asia Cup, says India-Afghanistan final is a great possibility

Former India player Aakash Chopra has picked Afghanistan's probable XI for the 2025 Asia Cup. He opined that the tournament could see an India-Afghanistan final if Sri Lanka don't reach that far.

The 2025 Asia Cup will be played in the UAE from September 9 onwards. Afghanistan will play the tournament opener against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi before facing Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in their other two Group B games at the same venue.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener chose two specialist seamers in Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq in Afghanistan's probable first-choice XI.

"Ibrahim Zadran with Rahmanullah Gurbaz, then Sediqullah Atal and Darwish Rasooli, and after that, Azmatullah Omarzai and Karim Jannat, Rashid Khan after Mohammad Nabi, and then Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad and Naveen-ul-Haq," he said (9:00).

While observing that Rashid Khan and company could play either Mujeeb Ur Rahman or Allah Ghazanfar as an additional spinner, Chopra reckoned that they could meet India in the 2025 Asia Cup final.

"I feel this could be the XI for now. Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Allah Ghazanfar can also play. They can make plenty of changes and make their bowling even better. You make them contenders if you give pitches to their liking. I was talking about an India-Sri Lanka final yesterday, but if it isn't an India-Sri Lanka final, an India-Afghanistan final is also a great possibility," Chopra noted.

Afghanistan have never reached an Asia Cup final. However, they have been faring well lately, having reached the semi-final of the 2024 T20 World Cup.

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"It's a good mixture of experience and youth" - Aakash Chopra on Afghanistan's strengths ahead of 2025 Asia Cup

Rashid Khan (center) and Mohammad Nabi (right) are among the experienced players in Afghanistan's 2025 Asia Cup squad. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra picked the excellent blend of experience and youth as one of Afghanistan's strengths heading into the 2025 Asia Cup.

"It's a good mixture of experience and youth. They have the experience of Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, and you will also see Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz there. You will see strikers and anchors, and an all-rounder in Azmatullah Omarzai. It's a very well-balanced and a good healthy mix of experience and youth," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator chose Afghanistan's potent spin-bowling lineup as their other strength.

"The second incredible thing about them is their spin department. Rashid Khan is back. You get Noor Ahmad along with him. If you manage one, you will get trapped by the other. If you manage there, Mohammad Nabi bowls very well. If they wish, they have Allah Ghazanfar as well. They can play with four spinners, which means they can bowl 16 overs of spin," Chopra observed.

While highlighting that the Afghanistan spinners can strangulate the opposition like a cobra, Aakash Chopra added that they have an army of all-rounders as well. The analyst noted that Afghanistan have most bases covered as they have utility players and some class in batting, and that it won't be wrong to say that they are the second-best T20 side in Asia, after India.