News India Live, Digital Desk: A shocking news is coming for cricket lovers. Afghanistan’s star leg spinner Rashid Khan has hinted at withdrawing from the one-off Test match against India in June 2026. Rashid, who is playing for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026, has given a big statement regarding his fitness and future career, due to which his Test career has also been put into question.
Doctors gave strict advice to stay away from red ball
In the press conference after the match against Delhi Capitals, Rashid Khan revealed that after his back surgery, doctors have warned him to stay away from Test cricket i.e. red ball format. “The doctors have clearly told me that if I want to prolong my career, I will have to avoid red-ball cricket,” Rashid said. It is worth noting that in Test matches one has to bowl long, which can increase the pressure on his back.
67 overs bowling proved costly against Zimbabwe
Referring to the Test match played against Zimbabwe last year, Rashid said that in that match he bowled 67 overs, which tired his body a lot. He said, “When my doctor came to know that I had bowled so many overs in a single match after the surgery, he was quite surprised. He warned me that if I continued playing Tests like this, my career could be cut short.”
India-Afghanistan test to be held in Chandigarh in June
According to the BCCI schedule, Afghanistan has to play the only Test match against India in New Chandigarh from June 6 to June 10, 2026. Rashid Khan is considered the backbone of Afghanistan’s bowling, so his not playing will be a big blow for the Afghan team. However, Rashid has clarified that he will continue to play in the ODI and T20 formats and his entire focus is on preparing for the upcoming World Cup.
Rashid’s focus on workload management
The 27-year-old bowler made it clear that there is no specific ‘test target’ for him. They want him to play cricket for Afghanistan for a long time, so they want to reduce his workload. Rashid said, “I enjoy ODI cricket and can play it for a long time. But bowling 126 overs in Tests (the total of the last two matches) is too much for me. I want to take it a little easier now.”
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