Rashid Khan has been left out of Afghanistan's preliminary 20-member squad for the upcoming one-off Test against New Zealand in India, starting on September 9, due to a back injury. The injury occurred while he was playing for Speen Ghar Tigers (SGT) in Afghanistan’s domestic T20 tournament, the Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL), last month. Rashid last featured in a Test match in March 2021.
During the SCL, Rashid played three consecutive matches starting from August 18, where he took six wickets with an impressive average of 9.33 and an economy rate of 5.09. In his third game, he also contributed a rapid 53 off 26 balls in a rain-affected match against Amo Sharks. However, he experienced back pain during that game, which sidelined him for SGT's following match two days later.
This isn't the first time Rashid has faced back issues. After the ODI World Cup last year, he underwent surgery for a back injury, which kept him out of action for four months. He returned to the field in a T20I series against Ireland in March this year. Recently, he also suffered a hamstring strain while playing for Trent Rockets in the Hundred, forcing him to miss the final two matches of the season.
Afghanistan has already started their training at their adopted home ground in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, in preparation for the Test against New Zealand. This match will mark the first time these two teams face each other in the Test format and will be the first Test hosted at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground.
Following the Test, Afghanistan will head to Sharjah for a three-match ODI series against South Africa, beginning on September 18.