Following the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rashid Khan had back surgery, and he hasn’t played professional cricket since.
Afghanistan Twenty-One In the forthcoming three-match Twenty20 International series against Ireland, which kicks off on Friday, March 15, Rashid Khan is expected to make his return. The wristspinner has been sidelined as he continues to heal from back surgery, having last played in the ODI World Cup 2023. The 25-year-old missed the SA20 in 2024 due to a back operation he had to have after withdrawing from the Big Bash League 2023–24.
Ibrahim Zadran captained the T20I team against the UAE, India, and Sri Lanka while he was away. Rashid is anticipated to return in the forthcoming T20I series against Ireland, though, based on reports. The cricketer from Nangarhar is not included in the 50-over squad as he continues to recuperate from back surgery. The two countries are currently playing a three-match ODI series in Sharjah. In a recent interview, Rashid provided an update on his recovery and disclosed his intentions to play in the forthcoming series.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board released a VDO interview with Rashid on Saturday, March 9. “The plan is to represent the country in the upcoming series (T20 against Afghanistan) and the training has been underway and today was the second day and thankfully it went well and I hope that the following few days will also be well so that I can wear the national jersey again and continue to do well for my country,” Rashid said.
Rashid went on to say that before to the 2023 ODI World Cup, the doctors had recommended that he have surgery. He chose to postpone it and compete in the important competition instead.
“I had surgery three months ago, which made them challenging. Since the World Cup was such a big event for us, I decided to play the tournament and have surgery after, even though I had been suffering from a back injury for the previous seven to eight months. Thank God, though, I am back on the field and feeling well, and my current focus is on getting back on the field and cheering on the country,” he continued.
Rashid Khan had a fantastic 2023 IPL season.
Notably, Rashid will participate in the 2018 IPL for the Gujarat Titans, the team that finished second last season. With 27 wickets from 17 matches at an average of 20.44, he finished as the equal second-highest wicket-taker in 2023 after having an outstanding season with the bat and the ball.With a best score of 79* (32) against the Mumbai Indians, the right-handed hitter also amassed 130 runs from nine innings at an average of 32.5 and a strike rate of 216.66. Rashid will be looking to build on his success from last year and take his form into the T20 World Cup in 2024.
