Afghanistan star bowler Rashid Khan withdraws from PSL after back surgery

Ace Afghanistan bowling all-rounder Rashid Khan was forced to withdraw from the SA20 series due to injury shortly before the start of the South African tournament, having also withdrawn from the Big Bash League. He had been appointed captain of MI Cape Town, but was replaced in the team and as skipper by the West Indies’ Kieron Pollard.

The Qalandars have retained Khan’s services for the season, despite him being unlikely to take part in the 2024 PSL. Khan has played for the Qalanders for the last three PSL seasons, and the franchise retained him on their books on the 'silver' salary bracket ahead of December’s draft to ensure he will be available for the Qalanders for future PSL seasons.

Rashid was part of the Afghanistan squad that travelled to India for their T20I series in early January, but did not pass the team’s fitness test. 

"It is a case of us making sure that we are really careful with his back," said Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott.

"He is such an influential player: we have to make sure he is 100% ready and not rush him back from that type of surgery. He has got a few more appointments and check-ups to make sure everything is OK, so there is no real time-frame. I hope it is sooner rather than later, but there is no pressure and no rush," added Trott.

Rashid is part of the Gujarat Titans squad for the 2024 IPL season, and it is believed that he should have fully recuperated in time to take part in the tournament, which runs from 22 March to 26 May. 

There is a possibility that he might play a match of two for Afghanistan ahead of the IPL, but his medical team believe he won’t be fit enough to take part in an entire T20 series before the start of the IPL. 

The Titans were runners-up in the 2023 IPL, with Khan finishing joint second on the runs list with 27 wickets from his 17 matches.