Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has admitted that he made a mistake by returning to cricket too soon after the back surgery he underwent shortly after the 2023 ODI World Cup. Rashid is currently playing in the ongoing Men’s Hundred tournament, but he joined the competition after taking a two-month break following a disappointing IPL 2025 season.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Rashid confessed that he had not fully recovered from his injury before playing in IPL 2025 and that rushing his return is something he regrets.
“After IPL, I needed the kind of break where my body gets back to normal. I worked a little bit on my strength. And especially coming back from back surgery, I hadn’t had much time to rehab properly. That’s where I did a bit of mistake to restart my cricket so quickly at that time,” he said.
He further explained: “And I feel like I didn’t let myself properly recover, and I pushed it a little bit at that time, and I can see the disadvantage of that now. But after IPL (2025), I felt like I needed that kind of two months off where I can just focus on my fitness.”
After leading Afghanistan to the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final, Rashid missed both the Big Bash League (BBL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) due to back and hamstring injuries. He made his comeback in the Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2025, where he picked up 11 wickets and was named Player of the Match. However, bowling 55 overs in that game took a toll on his body, impacting his performances in both the Champions Trophy 2025 and IPL 2025.
“When I came back to cricket after surgery, I was told not to rush back in the longer formats (Tests and ODIs) that quickly as that was not going to help me. About eight to nine months after I had started to play post surgery, I bowled 65 (55) overs in the Bulawayo Test. That really pushed my back a little bit, and I felt it at that time. I shouldn’t have been in whites (to play Tests),” Rashid said.
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