New Delhi, 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," Khan is quoted as saying in the book.
While he does not elaborate on the Australian offer, the 27-year-old cricketer recounts the Indian offer in detail from the 2023 IPL 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.' 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,'" Khan said, narrating the instance in the book.
Rashid's loyalty to Afghanistan has made headlines in the past as well.
As mentioned in the book, in 2018, while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders, he produced a match-winning all-round performance, scoring 34 off 10 balls and taking three wickets.
The performance triggered a social media campaign in India, with fans urging the government to grant him citizenship and tagging even the then External Affairs Minister, the late Sushma Swaraj.
Responding to the posts, Swaraj tweeted: "I saw all your tweets. But citizenship matters are dealt with by the Ministry of Home Affairs."
The episode also drew a response from the then Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who said Rashid was a matter of national pride and would not be given to another country.
Rashid later responded, thanking the president and reiterating his commitment to representing Afghanistan.
From the dusty streets of Nangarhar to the world's biggest cricket arenas, the book traces the rise of Rashid Khan.
It follows his journey from being overlooked in an Afghanistan U-19 trial to emerging as one of the country's leading cricketers and later being named the ICC's 'Player of the Decade' in 2020.
"Rashid Khan: From Streets to Stardom", priced at Rs 299, is published by Bloomsbury India.
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," Khan is quoted as saying in the book.
While he does not elaborate on the Australian offer, the 27-year-old cricketer recounts the Indian offer in detail from the 2023 IPL 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.' 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,'" Khan said, narrating the instance in the book.
Rashid's loyalty to Afghanistan has made headlines in the past as well.
As mentioned in the book, in 2018, while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders, he produced a match-winning all-round performance, scoring 34 off 10 balls and taking three wickets.
The performance triggered a social media campaign in India, with fans urging the government to grant him citizenship and tagging even the then External Affairs Minister, the late Sushma Swaraj.
Responding to the posts, Swaraj tweeted: "I saw all your tweets. But citizenship matters are dealt with by the Ministry of Home Affairs."
The episode also drew a response from the then Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who said Rashid was a matter of national pride and would not be given to another country.
Rashid later responded, thanking the president and reiterating his commitment to representing Afghanistan.
From the dusty streets of Nangarhar to the world's biggest cricket arenas, the book traces the rise of Rashid Khan.
It follows his journey from being overlooked in an Afghanistan U-19 trial to emerging as one of the country's leading cricketers and later being named the ICC's 'Player of the Decade' in 2020.
"Rashid Khan: From Streets to Stardom", priced at Rs 299, is published by Bloomsbury India.
