Gujarat Titans (GT) spinner Rashid Khan revealed how playing Test cricket put his entire cricketing career in jeopardy, as per reports from Crictracker. This comes after the Afghanistan superstar helped GT secure their maiden win of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, edging past the Delhi Capitals by one run.
Rashid has been struggling with a lower-back injury since 2023. Due to his troubles, his doctors advised him not to play the longer Test format and continue playing only white-ball cricket to prolong his career.
How serious are the injury concerns?
Rashid Khan, despite the doctors' advice, went on to play against Zimbabwe in 2025, where he took an 11-wicket haul, including career-best figures of 7 for 66 in the second innings.
Bowling lengthy spells could potentially cut short his successful white-ball career, particularly in T20s.
"Red-ball cricket is a little difficult because that was the first thing my doctor told me: 'Stay away from red-ball cricket.' I still went ahead and played. After the surgery, I played a game against Zimbabwe and bowled 67 overs, which was crazy. The doctor told me, 'If you don't want to play cricket, you can keep playing red-ball cricket.' He said it's not going to help me and that I won't be able to play for long," Rashid Khan said to the reporters, as per Crictracker.
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Mission World CUP 2027 for Rashid
Rashid Khan has played six Test matches in his international career, taking 45 wickets along the way. He has taken three five-wicket hauls and three 10-fers in his short-lived career in the longest format of the game.
The spinner has also stated that he will continue playing ODI cricket for Afghanistan and prepare for the 2027 World Cup. However, Test cricket will need to take a backseat for the betterment of his career.
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Adding to his statement, Rashid said, "So yes, I will think about it. But ODI cricket, I really enjoy that format. I am in good shape to play ODIs for a longer period for Afghanistan. However, I want to be careful about how much I play and not put too much load on myself if I want to have a longer career. In my last two Test matches, I bowled 126 overs, which is simply too much. I will take it easy and prepare myself for the World Cup. Imagine if something happens to my back during a Test match, I can't play 100 Tests. There is no specific target for me in Test cricket."
Rashid Khan returned to his brilliant best against DC, where he took three wickets while conceding just 17 runs from his quota of four overs. He bowled 10 dot balls to eventually emerge as the difference-maker in a closely fought encounter.
