Afghanistan has officially appointed veteran batter Rahmat Shah as the new captain of their One Day International (ODI) and Test teams, following Hashmatullah Shahidi's decision to step down from the role.The announcement marks a significant shift in leadership for the Afghan cricket team, which has experienced notable success in recent years.Rahmat, who made his international debut in 2013, brings extensive experience having played 128 ODIs and 12 Tests.

His appointment comes after leading the team as vice-captain during a successful period that included memorable victories over England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign.Despite their strong performances, Afghanistan narrowly missed qualifying for the knockout stage of the tournament.The team also secured qualification for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, a historic milestone for Afghan cricket.Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been named vice-captain alongside Rahmat.The new captain's first assignment will be the upcoming ODI series against Ireland, starting on August 5.This transition reflects Afghanistan's commitment to building a sustainable and competitive team structure in international cricket.