Xtra Time Web Desk: Afghanistan cricket team were dealt a huge blow ahead of three match T20I series against India as star leg-spinner Rashid Khan will not be available as he not fully fit. Rashid is recovering from a lower-back surgery he had in London in November. The same injury has kept him out of the Big Bash League and SA 20.
Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran on Wednesday confirmed that Rashid travelled to Chandigarh with the team but is not yet match-fit.
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“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,” Zadran said in the pre-match press conference.
He added, “We have many players like Mujeeb (Zadran) who have played a lot of T20 cricket. We have trust in them. We will struggle without Rashid but one should be ready for any kind of situation.”
Rashid has not played a competitive game since the ODI World Cup in India in October-November. He had to miss the recently concluded T20I series against UAE. In Rashid’s absence, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad, Qais Ahmad, and Sharafuddin Ashraf will handle Afghanistan’s spin workload in India.
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