Rashid Khan ruled out of T20I series against India

On the eve of the first match in Mohali, Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran said Rashid Khan will miss the three-match T20I series against India.

The 25-year-old, who underwent a back surgery recently, is yet to recover but is travelling with the team.

“He is not totally fit, but he is travelling with us. He is doing his rehab, and we are hoping that he gets fit as soon as possible. We will miss him in this series,” Zadran said at the press conference on Wednesday (January 10).

“Without Rashid, we will struggle as his experience is invaluable, but even in his absence, we have got quality spinners in Mujeeb [Ur Rahman], [Mohammad] Nabi, Noor [Ahmad] and Qais [Ahmad] All of them have played a lot of cricket, and we have trust in them.”

Zadran also said that his side will need to improve its batting if they are to stand a chance against India at home. The hosts have called back the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli who would be eager to prove their value to the side in the leadup to the T20 World Cup.

“We have quality spinners and seamers, but we need to improve our batting skills; we will try to be more aggressive in that area,” he said.

The three-match T20I series begins on Thursday in Mohali. Indore and Bangalore will host the second and third T20Is on January 14 and 17.

(With inputs from agencies)