Younis Khan returns to ICC Champions Trophy; to fill Ajay Jadeja’s role as mentor for Afghanistan

During the 2023 ODI World Cup, former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja mentored Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s cricket team is pulling out all the stops for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. They’ve just announced a big addition to their coaching staff: former Pakistan captain Younis Khan. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed the move, bringing in a legend to mentor the squad. Younis isn’t new to working with Afghanistan; he was their batting coach back in 2022. This time, he’s coming in as a mentor, bringing his wealth of experience to the table.

Younis Khan knows Pakistan conditions; great move for Champions Trophy

Younis Khan is a giant of Pakistani cricket. He racked up over 10,000 runs in Test matches, including a massive triple century. He even led Pakistan to victory in the T20 World Cup back in 2009. After his playing days, Younis moved into coaching, working with Pakistan’s national team and in various leagues.

Afghanistan has been smart about bringing in experienced mentors. Remember Ajay Jadeja’s impact during the 2023 World Cup? They also had Dwayne Bravo as a bowling consultant for the recent T20 World Cup. Now, they’ve added another big name in Younis Khan, who knows Pakistani conditions. Afghanistan are drawn in the group of death, as they will be facing Australia, South Africa and England in the group stages.