The Kabul Tribune (KT) — India Today reported that Afghan cricket star Rashid Khan turned down offers of citizenship from India and Australia, choosing instead to remain committed to representing Afghanistan.
The 27-year-old leg-spinner revealed in his upcoming book Rashid
Khan: From Streets to Stardom that he was approached during the 2023 Indian
Premier League season with proposals to switch allegiance.
“I received such offers from both Australia and India. But I
told them, ‘If I don’t play for my country, I won’t play for any other country
either,’” Rashid was quoted as saying in the book.
He recalled that while playing for the Gujarat Titans, a
team official arranged a meeting with a senior figure from the Board of Control
for Cricket in India, who suggested he move to India and take up citizenship.
Rashid said he declined the offer, reaffirming his
commitment to Afghanistan despite opportunities abroad.
His loyalty has drawn attention before. In 2018, during his
stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rashid delivered a standout all-round
performance against Kolkata Knight Riders, sparking a social media campaign in
India calling for him to be granted citizenship.
At the time, then Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj said citizenship matters fell under the Ministry of Home Affairs, while
former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani described Rashid as a source of national
pride and made clear he would not be allowed to switch allegiance.
Rashid later thanked Ghani and reiterated his commitment to
Afghanistan, a position he has maintained throughout his career.
From the streets of Nangarhar to becoming one of the world’s
leading T20 players, Rashid’s journey reflects Afghanistan’s growing presence
in international cricket.
