Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan says he turned down citizenship offer from India

Afghanistan’s talismanic leg-spinner Rashid Khan was informally sounded out by not one but two countries, including India, with offers of citizenship and an opportunity to represent them, but the star cricketer declined, choosing instead to stay loyal to his homeland, a new book has revealed.

In “Rashid Khan: From Streets to Stardom”, scheduled to release on Monday, the all-rounder tells author Mohammad Haand Jafar that both India and Australia extended such offers, which he declined.

“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.

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While he does not elaborate on the Australian offer, the 27-year-old cricketer recounts the Indian offer in detail from the 2023 Indian Premier League season.

Rashid, currently playing in the IPL for Gujarat Titans, recalls being informed by his team official that a “high-ranking official from the Indian Cricket Board” 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’, “ Rashid said, narrating the instance in the book.

“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’,” he added.

Published on Apr 19, 2026