‘If I don’t play for Afghanistan, I won’t play for any other country’ - Rashid Khan reveals citizenship offer from India

Former Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan has revealed that he was approached by two countries with offers of citizenship and an opportunity to represent them internationally. However, he chose to decline both offers, remaining loyal to his homeland.

The leg-spinner, one of Afghanistan’s most influential cricketers, shares this experience in his upcoming book Rashid Khan: From Streets to Stardom. In the book, he recalls being informally approached about switching allegiance during the 2023 IPL season.

"I received such offers (citizenship and playing) 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,'" Rashid is quoted as saying in the book.

Rashid did not go into detail about the approach from Australia, but he elaborates extensively on the offer from India. At the time, he was playing in the IPL for the Gujarat Titans when a team official informed him that a senior figure from the Board of Control for Cricket in India wanted to meet him.

"I went over and greeted him. We started talking, and he said: 'The situation in your country (Afghanistan) is very bad. Come stay in India. We will give you Indian documents, live here, 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,'" Rashid said.

Earlier, Rashid’s loyalty to Afghanistan had already made headlines in 2018 during his stint with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. In a clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders, he produced a stunning all-round performance, smashing 34 runs off just 10 balls and taking three wickets.

The display sparked a social media campaign in India, with fans urging the government to grant him citizenship. Many even tagged then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who responded that such matters would be handled by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani described Rashid as a matter of national pride, making it clear that the country would not part with one of its brightest cricketing assets.

The book also traces Rashid’s journey from the dusty streets of Nangarhar to becoming one of the finest T20 players in the world. It highlights key moments in his career, from being overlooked at an Afghanistan Under-19 trial to emerging as a global star and being named the ICC Player of the Decade in 2020.