T20 World Cup 2026: ‘Hopefully he can continue that form’ - Jonathan Trott backs Gulbadin Naib as Afghanistan’s No.3 option

Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott felt that Gulbadin Naib could be a suitable option to fill the No. 3 spot in the batting order. Since the start of the T20 World Cup 2024, Afghanistan have tried as many as 11 different players at No. 3. Naib returned to the No. 3 role for the first time since the previous World Cup and made a strong impact, scoring 63 off 35 balls against New Zealand in Chennai.

Naib absorbed the early pressure well before accelerating his innings, moving from 18 off 16 balls to reaching his half-century off just 29 deliveries. The team management was even willing to push their most prolific batter, Sediqullah Atal, down the order to accommodate Naib at No. 3.

"Without giving too many tactics away, I thought he plays well and that [No.3] position suits him. So hopefully he can continue to do that. I thought he's looked decent form. He just hasn't got the runs in the series against the West Indies. He didn't get too many [runs], but hopefully he's starting to hit form now and he can continue this form for the rest of the tournament,” said Trott at the post-match press conference as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Naib had previously enjoyed success in India at the No. 3 position in 2024, when he emerged as the third-highest run-scorer in a three-match T20I series, amassing 112 runs in two innings at a strike rate of over 190. He also brings valuable experience of batting up the order for Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 in the UAE and captaining the franchise in the Global Super League in Guyana.

"He's a strong hitter of the ball. He's very experienced. He's played a lot of cricket all around the world and has been successful in India before in our T20 series a couple of years ago. He's fond of playing here in India and these wickets suit him, so hopefully he can continue that form, he's a good player,” said Trott.

Afghanistan have found out another exciting batting prospect in Darwish Rasooli. The 26-year-old made his T20I debut four years ago and has recently found his rhythm in the format, registering three successive half-centuries. His standout performance came last month in Dubai, where he played a match-winning knock of 84 off 59 balls against the West Indies.

"He's been in the squad a few times and we saw how well he played against the West Indies in the series there in Dubai. So his form continued today and he solidifies that middle order nicely. His form is great and hopefully like Gulbadin he can continue that form at No. 5 and that power! We saw the power that he has,” said Trott.

"So I'm excited to see him go for the rest of the tournament. He's developed nicely, and he's been in and around the squads. Our coaches have worked with him, so they deserve a lot of credit. Hopefully, all the hard work pays off for himself, but also the work we've done with him,” he added.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan went into the match without left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad, who had been particularly impressive for Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk during IPL 2025. While Trott had no issues with the bowling combination selected on a grassy pitch with visible cracks, he expressed disappointment with the execution of the fast bowlers.

"We thought with the cracks [there] would be a little uneven bounce and we were right with that. I think the selection was correct, we just didn't bowl well enough. The seamers just didn't bowl well enough unfortunately. I thought they [New Zealand batters] played well. They put pressure on the seamers,” said Trott.

"Hindsight is always a nice thing or a dangerous thing as well. I didn't think it was going to spin a huge amount as well. I know Noor has got experience playing here, but these are new wickets, so it's not like he would have bowled on them before. There is that, but you always think whenever you lose, you wish you could have done things a little bit differently, don't you?,” he concluded.