Recovering Rashid Khan to miss Afghanistan's first-ever Sri Lanka Test

NEW DELHI: Afghanistan's premier spinner Rashid Khan will be absent from the squad for their historic first-ever Test against Sri Lanka next month, as confirmed by selectors in Kabul on Monday. This decision stems from Rashid's ongoing recovery from a recent back surgery.

The 25-year-old holds the distinction of being Afghanistan's leading Test wicket-taker, having secured 34 wickets in five matches. His pivotal role in all formats of the game makes his absence a notable setback for the team.

The selectors emphasised that Rashid's rehabilitation is being approached with caution, underlining the importance of monitoring his recovery process.


"Rashid Khan continues to recover from the back surgery and is set to miss the one-off Test against Sri Lanka," the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said in a statement.

The upcoming Test match, scheduled to take place in Colombo from February 2-6, will witness another leg-spinning bowling all-rounder Qais Ahmad, who has been included in the squad as Rashid's replacement.

Hashmatullah Shahidi has been entrusted with the leadership of the squad, which also features the likes of Noor Ali Zadran and Naveed Zadran.

Beyond the Test, Afghanistan are set to engage in a series of three one-day internationals and an equal number of Twenty20 matches during the tour. The squads for these limited-overs fixtures will be disclosed at a later date.

Since attaining Test status in 2018, Afghanistan have participated in seven Test matches, securing victories in three encounters while facing defeat in the remaining four matches.

"The year 2024 is packed with Test cricket for us, a sign of progression," said ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf.

Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Ishaq, Ibrahim Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Abdul Malik, Bahir Shah, Nasir Jamal, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar, Yamin Ahmadzai, Nijat Masood, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Naveed Zadran(With AFP inputs)


Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.