Afghanistan received a significant setback on Wednesday, as their star spinner, Rashid Khan, was ruled out of the upcoming three-match T20I series against India, scheduled to commence on January 11, in Mohali. The wily leg-spinner, who underwent a back surgery a couple of months ago, has not fully recovered, leading to his absence in the matches against India.
Ibrahim Zadran, the new T20I captain for Afghanistan, confirmed Rashid’s unavailability during the pre-match press conference in Mohali. “He is not totally fit. He is doing his rehab. We will miss him in the series. Without Rashid, there are a few players we trust,” he stated.
The absence of Rashid will undoubtedly present a challenge for the somewhat depleted Afghanistan team as they face India in their home conditions. “We have many players like Mujeeb (Zadran) who have played a lot of cricket. We have trust in them. We will struggle without Rashid, but one should be ready for any kind of situation,” he emphasized.
In his absence, the team will look towards their other spinners—Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Qais Ahmad, and all-rounder Mohammad Nabi—to step up and fill the void.