Rashid Khan will not participate in the three-match T20I series against India due to his ongoing rehabilitation from lower-back surgery, which previously sidelined him from both the BBL and the SA20. Rashid, according to Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran, accompanied the squad to Chandigarh; however, he is not yet match-ready.
“He is not totally fit, but is travelling with the team,” Ibrahim said. “We hope that he gets fit as soon as we expect him to. He’s doing his rehab with the doctor, and we will miss him in the series.
“Without Rashid, we will struggle because his experience is crucial to all of us, but this is cricket and you need to be ready for any kind of situation.”
Since the ODI World Cup in October-November, Rashid has been absent from competitive play. Moreover, he was absent from Afghanistan’s most recent assignment, a 2-1 T20I series victory over UAE at the beginning of the year. Afghanistan’s spin duties in India will be divided among Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad, Qais Ahmad, and Sharafuddin Ashraf in Rashid’s absence.
Qais, who has assumed the responsibility of leg spin for Afghanistan during Rashid’s absence, secured the most wickets (6) during the UAE series at an economy rate of 6.70 and an average of 11.16.
Ibrahim eagerly anticipated a series of competitions against India. “Playing against India on their home soil is a difficult task, but we came here to play well against them and show our skills,” according to him. “Our team is loaded with talented Twenty20 players, and all of our young men are producing quality cricket, so I have no doubt that they will perform admirably. We anticipate a successful series in opposition to India.”
The three-match Twenty20 International series commences in Mohali on Thursday. The second and third Twenty20 Internationals will be played in Indore and Bangalore on January 14 and 17, respectively.
