Rashid Khan has always been seen carrying Afghanistan on his shoulders with pride, but his revelations have now made his story even stronger and emotional. Rashid Khan is currently representing Gujarat Titans (GT) in the ongoing IPL 2026 in India.
The shocking revelation of the Afghanistan spinner amid IPL 2026 surprised everyone. Rashid told that he once received big offers from India and Australia. They were granted citizenship and the opportunity to play international cricket.
But Rashid Khan never compromised with his identity and his loyalty to Afghanistan and rejected both the offers. The spin magician 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 cricket superstars in the world.
Rashid Khan’s shocking revelation amid IPL 2026
According to PTI report, both India and Australia had shown interest in him at different times. These were serious offers, as Rashid was offered citizenship and the opportunity to play international cricket for these countries.
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It was a dream offer for any young cricketer as he would get better facilities, bigger tournaments and global recognition, but Rashid was too mature to be disappointed.
Rashid made it clear that if he cannot play for Afghanistan then he will not play for any other country. Despite all the challenges under Taliban rule, he wanted to remain connected to the country where he was born and where his cricket journey began.
Rashid Khan wrote in his book, “I got such offers from both Australia and India. But I told them, ‘If I will not play for my country, I will not play for any other country either.'”
India’s offer during IPL 2023
One of the most detailed moments shared in the book pertains to India during the 2023 IPL season. At that time, Rashid was already a big match-winner for Gujarat Titans in the IPL. He was told that a senior officer wanted to meet him.
When he went for the meeting, the officer talked 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 at that moment. It was a life-changing situation, but he remained patient and politely thanked him and clearly stated that he was playing for Afghanistan and wanted to continue doing so.
The Afghan star further said, “I went up to him and greeted him. We started talking and he said, ‘The situation in your country is very bad. Come and live in India. We will give you Indian documents, you will 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.
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When Indian fans demanded citizenship for Rashid Khan in 2018
This was not the first time Rashid’s name was linked with India. In 2018, after his excellent performance for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL, fans in India became his huge fans. His acting had created such a craze in India that fans on social media even demanded to give him Indian citizenship.
The discussion had reached such a level that even former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had responded by saying that citizenship matters are handled by the Home Ministry. Meanwhile, former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also reacted and proudly described Rashid as a national treasure for Afghanistan.
