Rashid Khan started his professional career at just 17 and has since become one of the finest spinners in modern cricket. However, the demanding schedule of the game, especially with the rise of franchise cricket, has forced him to rethink his priorities to sustain a longer career. His concern around fitness comes after the lower back injury he picked up during the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Since then, Rashid has reduced his appearances in red-ball cricket to prolong his career for Afghanistan. Having made his Test debut in 2018 against India, his only Test appearance in 2025 came in Bulawayo against Zimbabwe, where he guided his team to a historic win with career-best figure of 11 wickets.
“I bowled 67 [55] overs, which was crazy. The doctor told me like, ‘if you don’t want to play cricket, you keep playing the red-ball cricket’ because it’s not going to support you. You won’t be [there] for longer to play for Afghanistan and I still went and I still played and when he knew I bowled 67 [55] overs in one innings, in two innings, he was shocked. He was ‘no, you can’t do that to yourself’. I will think about that,” added Rashid, who played in Bulawayo against the doctor’s advice.
At just 27, Rashid has already played a significant amount of cricket despite the 2023 setback, featuring in over 230 matches for his country since his debut in white-ball formats. He also led Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup 2026 held in India & Sri Lanka, where they faced an early group-stage exit.
World Cups and tournaments for Afghanistan Rashid’s focus
Currently representing Gujarat Titans in the ongoing Indian Premier League, he is unlike to feature for Afghanistan in a one-off test against India in June 2026, as he shifts focus towards the 2027 ODI World Cup.
“I’ve already played one before. So I will just take it easy. Get myself ready for the [2027 ODI] World Cup. Imagine something happens to my back in that Test match. I can’t play 100 Test matches. If you’re playing one Test in a year, I can’t play for 100 years. And there is no target in Test cricket,” said Rashid.
“ODIs, yes, I enjoy. And I’m in a good shape to play ODI for a longer period of time for Afghanistan, but just to be careful with how many I play and not to put too much load on myself, to be careful if I want to play for a longer period of time. But especially, red-ball is something which looks a bit difficult for me to keep it. Yes, one Test in a year, I will take that. But I don’t think so more than that I can play. I will try. I can play but [only] if I bowl a spell of 20-25 overs. But then I have to bowl the whole day if I’m in a team. Last two Test matches if you take, I bowled 167 [154.2] overs which is I think too much,”
Rashid currently ranks No.1 in Men’s ODI Bowling. He boasts 210 wickets, having played just 117 matches since his debut against Zimbabwe in 2015, with best figures of 7/18 against West Indies. With his experience in global tournaments and a clear shift towards white-ball cricket, his presence could prove crucial for Afghanistan as they aim to make a much stronger impact in the upcoming World Cup edition.
