Rashid Khan has always been seen carrying Afghanistan on his shoulders with pride, but his revelation has now made his story even stronger and more emotional. Rashid Khan is currently in India representing the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the ongoing IPL 2026.
Amidst the IPL 2026, the Afghanistan spinner’s surprising revelation left everyone stunned. Rashid shared that he once received big offers from India and Australia. He was offered citizenship and the opportunity to play international cricket for them.
But Rashid Khan never compromised on his identity and his loyalty to Afghanistan, turning down both offers. The spin wizard made this revelation in his new book Rashid Khan: From Streets to Stardom, which talks about his life from a small town in Nangarhar to becoming one of the most famous and successful cricketing superstars in the world.
Rashid Khan’s shocking revelation amid IPL 2026
As reported by PTI, both India and Australia had shown interest in him at different times. These were serious offers, as Rashid was told about citizenship and a chance to play international cricket for these countries.
Read Also: Nicholas Pooran’s LSG axing all but confirmed! 3 batters who can replace him in playing XI
For any young cricketer, it was a dream offer, as he would get better facilities, big tournaments, and global recognition, but Rashid was mature enough to leave them disappointed.
Rashid made it very clear that if he cannot play for Afghanistan, he will not play for any other country either. He wanted to stay connected to the country where he was born and where his cricket journey began, despite all the challenges in the Taliban regime.
Rashid Khan wrote in his book, “I received such offers from both Australia and India. But I told them, ‘If I don’t play for my country, I won’t play for any other country either’.”
The India offer during IPL 2023
One of the most detailed moments shared in the book is related to India during the 2023 IPL season. At that time, Rashid was already a big match-winner for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL. He was informed that a senior official wanted to meet him.
When he went for the meeting, the official spoke about the difficult situation in Afghanistan and suggested that he could stay in India, get Indian documents, and continue his cricket career there.
Rashid admitted that he was surprised and did not know how to react in that moment. It was a life-changing situation, but he kept his calm and politely thanked them and clearly said that he is playing for Afghanistan and wants to continue doing so.
The Afghan star added, “I went over and greeted him. We started talking, and he said, ‘The situation in your country is very bad. Come stay in India. We will give you Indian documents, live here, and play cricket here.’ I was surprised by what he was saying and didn’t know how to respond. But I smiled and said, ‘Thank you very much. I am playing for my country, Afghanistan.’”
Read Also: “He’ll make it…”: RR coach confirms Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s India debut date amid IPL 2026
When Indian fans demanded citizenship for Rashid Khan in 2018
This was not the first time Rashid’s name was linked with India. Back in 2018, after his outstanding performances for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL, fans in India became huge fans of him. His performances had created such a craze in India that fans on social media even demanded that he should be given Indian citizenship.
The buzz had reached such a level that even former minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj responded by saying that citizenship matters were handled by the Ministry of Home Affairs. At the same time, the former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani also reacted, proudly calling Rashid a national treasure for Afghanistan.
