new delhi, Aug 10
Afghanistan’s premier leg-spinner Rashid Khan has conceded that he erred by rushing back into competitive cricket too soon after undergoing back surgery following the 2023 ODI World Cup.
After enduring a difficult IPL 2025 campaign, where he conceded 33 sixes while turning out for Gujarat Titans, Rashid took a two-month break before making a strong return, claiming 3-11 in defending champions Oval Invincibles’ win over London Spirit in their opening match of The Hundred at Lord’s.
“After IPL, I needed the kind of break where my body gets back to normal. I worked a little bit on my strength. And especially coming back from back surgery, I hadn’t had much time to rehab properly. That’s where I did a bit of mistake to restart my cricket so quickly at that time,” Rashid told ESPNcricinfo on Saturday.
“And I feel like I didn’t let myself properly recover, and I pushed it a little bit at that time, and I can see the disadvantage of that now. But after IPL (2025), I felt like I needed that kind of two months off where I can just focus on my fitness.”
Rashid captained Afghanistan to the semi-finals of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup before back and hamstring injuries sidelined him from the BBL and PSL. He returned in January 2025 for the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, taking 11 wickets in 55 overs to earn the Player of the Match award. However, the physical strain from that performance was evident in his underwhelming outings at the Champions Trophy and IPL 2025.
“When I came back to cricket after surgery, I was told not to rush back in the longer formats (Tests and ODIs) that quickly as that was not going to help me. About eight to nine months after I had started to play post surgery, I bowled 65 (55) overs in the Bulawayo Test. That really pushed my back a little bit, and I felt it at that time. I shouldn’t have been in whites (to play Tests).”
“In T20s, it’s fine, you can manage yourself, but for the longer formats, I was advised that you should be away from that format for some time.
That is the kind of mistake I have made. But the team needed that. At that time, we had lost a few games in Test cricket, but that’s something where I rushed myself a little bit, and I didn’t give myself time and I felt it later on.”
Following the IPL, Rashid pulled out of the MLC in the USA, where he was slated to represent MI New York, to prioritise recovery. He focused on lower-back strength training, supplemented by spot bowling two or three times a week and some batting practice. Away from cricket, the 26-year-old, who married in October last year, spent time relaxing with family.
“After IPL finished, for three weeks, I didn’t touch the ball. I spent most of my time with my family, (and) my nephews – going around with them, (and) had fun – just to take all those memories and stuff and bad days out of my mind, and then restart with the cricket. That’s what I did just to be refreshed, and then got back on track and got back bowling in the right spot,” he said.
