Rashid Khan set to play fewer Test matches: Here's why

By Parth Dhall

Apr 09, 2026 02:47 pm

What's the story

Afghanistan's star spinner Rashid Khan has announced a major shift in his cricketing priorities. The 27-year-old wrist-spinner, who leads his country in T20Is, will now play fewer Test matches, according to ESPNcricinfo. The decision comes after he suffered from a back injury in 2023. He starred in Afghanistan's 2nd Test against Zimbabwe in January last year. It remains to be seen if he plays Afghanistan's one-off Test against India on June 6.

Injury details

Rashid's back injury

Rashid had opted against surgery when he was first diagnosed with the back injury, as he wanted to continue playing for Afghanistan. However, this decision hampered his bowling capabilities and caused him a lot of pain. He had played that game against medical advice after being warned by a doctor that continuing red-ball cricket could jeopardize his future in the sport. "The doctor told me, 'if you don't want to play cricket, you keep playing red-ball cricket' because it's not going to support you," Rashid told ESPNcricinfo.

Strategic shift

Focus on ODIs and IPL

Rashid is now looking to manage his on-field time better. He is currently focused on the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he took 3/17 in Gujarat Titans' latest win against Delhi Capitals. The spinner also has an eye on the upcoming ODI World Cup in 2027. "ODIs, yes, I enjoy," he said, adding that he is fit enough to play ODIs for a long time but needs to be careful about how many matches he plays.

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Career overview

A look at Rashid's numbers

Since his Test debut in 2018, a one-off game against India in Bengaluru, Rashid has played six matches, taking 45 wickets with an average of 20.44. One of the most lethal T20 bowlers, Rashid is Afghanistan's highest wicket-taker in international cricket. The wirst-spinner owns 210 ODI wickets at 19.65 and a record 193 T20I wickets at 13.73.

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