Afghanistan suffers major setback as star spinner ruled out of T20I series against India

Afghanistan's quest to record their maiden T20I win over India has suffered a major setback as star spinner Rashid Khan has been ruled out of the upcoming series. India will host their Asian rivals in a three-match T20I series starting on Thursday, January 11. Despite knowing that Rashid was not fully fit, the management included the bowling all-rounder in the 19-man squad.

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Rashid required surgery in November last year due to a back injury and is still in the process of recovery. He also missed out on being a part of the ongoing Big Bash League and SA20 League. The 25-year-old was almost certain not to be available for any of the three matches, and ahead of the series opener, captain Ibrahim Zadran confirmed it in a press conference. 

"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. 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," Zadran said. 

Rashid was last seen in action during the 2023 ODI World Cup when Afghanistan enjoyed their best-ever major tournament. They finished sixth in the points table with some incredible wins against former champions England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Although Rashid's absence during the tour of India will hurt them, they have quality spinners like Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad to trouble the Indian batters. 

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We are here to win: Afghan captain Ibrahim Ibrahim Zadran

Afghanistan have never defeated India in T20Is, losing four of the five matches they have played against each other, one of which ended in a draw. However, skipper Zadran, speaking ahead of the series, expressed faith in his team to upset the hosts, though admitted it would be a tough task.

“Playing against India on their home soil is difficult but we are here to win, show our skills. We have lots of good players in T20 and we are good in this format, I am sure we will perform well. We have one of the best spinners in the world, we have fast bowlers as well but our aim is to improve batting skills,” Zadran added. 

The upcoming series will be the final T20I assignment for India ahead of the 2024 World Cup. Mohali will host the opening match, while the second and third T20Is will be held in Indore and Bangalore on January 14 and 17, respectively.