Afghanistan star Rashid Khan has revealed that he turned down citizenship offers from both India and Australia to continue playing for his country. The explosive disclosure appears in his upcoming book titled Rashid Khan: From Streets to Stardom.
According to the leg spinner, a high ranking Indian Cricket Board official personally approached him during the 2023 IPL season with an offer of Indian documents, residency, and a cricketing future in India. However, Rashid politely declined both approaches.
Moreover, the 27 year old insisted that if he did not play for Afghanistan, he would not represent any other country either.
How the Indian Citizenship Offer Reached Rashid Khan
Rashid detailed the Indian approach while playing for Gujarat Titans during IPL 2023. A team official informed him that a senior figure from the Indian Cricket Board wanted to meet him in person. Consequently, Rashid walked over and exchanged greetings before the conversation turned serious.
Furthermore, the official pointed to the troubled situation in Afghanistan and offered him Indian documents, residency, and a place in the Indian cricket setup. Rashid admitted he was stunned by the proposal and unsure how to respond.
Meanwhile, he smiled politely and thanked the official before confirming that he would continue playing for Afghanistan.
Rashid Khan Also Declined Australian Citizenship Approach
The book reveals that Australia made a similar pitch to the Afghan talisman. However, Rashid chose not to elaborate on the details of that conversation. Instead, he repeated the same firm response he offered in India.
As a result, both approaches ended without any shift in allegiance. Additionally, Rashid has remained one of the most high profile international cricketers linked with citizenship speculation over the past decade.
His consistent position has always centred around loyalty to Afghanistan rather than personal convenience.
Why India Wanted Rashid Khan After 2018 IPL Heroics
This is not the first time Rashid has faced citizenship chatter from Indian fans. Notably, his performance in the 2018 IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders sparked the first wave. He scored 34 off 10 balls and picked up three wickets in a stunning all round display that flipped the game.
Subsequently, Indian fans launched a social media campaign urging the government to grant him citizenship and tagged then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Swaraj clarified that citizenship matters fell under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Meanwhile, former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called Rashid a matter of national pride and refused to entertain the idea of losing him to another country. Rashid later thanked Ghani and reaffirmed his commitment to Afghanistan.
