Only around 40 to 42 percent of Afghanistan’s population has access to the national power grid, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which warns that unreliable electricity remains a major challenge for healthcare, education, livelihoods and local economic growth.

The UNDP says access to electricity remains particularly limited in remote areas, where many communities continue to lack adequate power services. Expanding the national grid to these areas also faces significant challenges.

“Across Afghanistan, access to reliable electricity remains one of the biggest challenges affecting healthcare, education, livelihoods, and local economic growth,” the UNDP said. “Although around 40–42% of the population has access to the national grid, nearly 90% of this access is concentrated in urban areas, while rural communities remain largely underserved.”

The lack of reliable electricity is also a growing concern among residents, particularly during the summer months. Several Kabul residents say they receive electricity for only a few hours a day and are calling for an increase in power generation and a reduction in frequent outages.

“We are suffering from the heat. There is no electricity throughout the night. It is difficult without a fan. The electricity shortage must be addressed,” said Mohammad Ismail, a Kabul resident.

Another Kabul resident, Hizbullah Krokhil, said electricity is an essential need for every household and urged the government to take action.

“Electricity is a necessity for everyone in society. We call on the government to take action so that people can be freed from the problem of electricity shortages,” he said.

Other residents say demand for electricity is increasing steadily and that work on power generation and infrastructure projects needs to be accelerated.

“Power outages should be reduced and more electricity should be generated. People are currently facing a major problem. We call on the government to work on electricity generation projects,” said Islamuddin, another Kabul resident.

Meanwhile, officials at Da Afghanistan Breshna Shirkat (DABS) say the country’s electricity shortage is a longstanding problem and cannot be resolved immediately.

Mohammad Sadiq Haqparast, a DABS spokesperson, said the utility company is working to address electricity shortages and reduce frequent outages.

“Breshna is working to address the electricity shortage, which has resulted in frequent power outages, so that the problem can be resolved as soon as possible. We have signed 17 contracts with different companies, and work on 10 of these projects is currently underway,” Haqparast said.

Afghanistan remains heavily dependent on imported electricity, with much of the country’s power supplied by neighboring states. The government pays significant amounts annually to import electricity, highlighting the need for increased domestic power generation and expansion of the national grid.

Iran says reducing border and customs barriers is essential to increasing trade and economic exchanges with Afghanistan, as officials report a sharp rise in rail freight between the two countries.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at a weekly press briefing that Tehran and Kabul have discussed ways to facilitate economic and commercial cooperation, particularly by reducing customs and border obstacles.

Baghaei said the issue was discussed during a meeting between Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Iran’s president. He added that important measures have since been placed on the agenda and that constructive exchanges have continued at the ministerial level.

The Iranian official expressed hope that the process would help increase bilateral trade and remove existing obstacles to the movement of goods between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Jabbar Ali Zakari, Iran’s deputy minister of roads and urban development and head of the country’s railway company, said rail freight between Iran and Afghanistan has increased significantly.

Zakari said less than 15,000 tonnes of goods were transported by rail between the two countries annually in the past, while the figure has now reached around 130,000 tonnes per month.

He said Iran expects the volume to reach approximately 1.5 million tonnes annually if the current trend continues.

Iranian officials say expanding railway links with Afghanistan and other regional countries could further strengthen trade, transit and connectivity between Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against India, which will be played from September 13 to 17 at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi.

Ibrahim Zadran will captain Afghanistan in the series, marking his first assignment as the team’s full-time T20I skipper.

Fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq returns to the squad after recovering from a stress fracture in his right shoulder. The injury kept him out of Afghanistan’s T20I series against the West Indies and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

His return adds further strength to Afghanistan’s pace attack, which also features Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai.

Experienced all-rounder Gulbadin Naib has also been recalled to the national side. His ability to contribute with both bat and ball is expected to provide additional depth and flexibility, particularly in the middle order.

Uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Noor Rahman has received his maiden call-up after making a strong impression in domestic cricket and the Shpageeza Cricket League. He has also been part of Afghanistan’s development pathway and has represented the country at A-team level.

Afghanistan’s spin department will be led by Rashid Khan, with Noor Ahmad, Nangyal Kharoti and Mujeeb Ur Rahman also included. Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi adds further experience and balance to the squad.

ACB Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan said the board had focused on selecting a balanced and well-prepared squad for the series.

“The Afghanistan Cricket Board has always made every effort to select a well-balanced and fully prepared squad for all relevant competitions. We have followed the same approach for the upcoming series against India, and I hope the Afghanistan team will deliver an outstanding performance in these matches,” he said.

Khan also described the series as a significant milestone for Afghan cricket, with Afghanistan set to host India for the first time.

“It is a great pride that Afghanistan is hosting a major cricketing nation for the first time. This reflects the progress Afghan cricket has made toward achieving its major objectives and shows that we are steadily advancing toward the strategic goals identified by the organization,” he added.

The Afghanistan squad is expected to travel to India soon for training and final preparations ahead of the three-match series.

Afghanistan Squad

Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Noor Rahman (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Naveen-ul-Haq.

Reserves: Ijaz Ahmadzai, Shahidullah Kamal, Fareed Ahmad Malik.

Series Schedule