Afghanistan’s charismatic leg spinner Rashid Khan has revealed that he was offered citizenship and a chance to represent two countries, including India, but he refused and chose to remain loyal to his motherland.

The 27-year-old leg spinner, one of Afghanistan’s most influential cricketers, made this revelation in his upcoming book Rashid Khan: From Streets to Stardom, where he informally spoke about the possibility of switching allegiance during 2023. IPL Season.

Rashid is quoted in the book as saying, “I got 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.'”

Although he does not elaborate on the Australian approach, Rashid elaborates on the Indian proposal. At the time, he was playing in the IPL for Gujarat Titans when a team official informed him that “a high-ranking official of the Indian Cricket Board” wanted to meet him.

“I went to him and greeted him. We started talking and he said, ‘The situation in your country (Afghanistan) is very bad. Come and live in India. We will give you Indian documents, stay 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 recalled.

This incident is not an isolated one. Rashid’s loyalty towards Afghanistan has made headlines beforeEspecially during his stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018. In a match against Kolkata Knight Riders, he produced a brilliant all-round performance, scoring 34 runs off 10 balls and turning the game around by taking three wickets.

The performance sparked a social media campaign in India, with fans urging the government to grant him citizenship. Many posts also tagged then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who responded by saying that citizenship matters were handled by the Home Ministry.

The campaign also drew a strong reaction from Afghanistan’s then President Ashraf Ghani, who described Rashid as a matter of national pride and made it clear that the country would not abandon one of its most talented cricketing assets.

Rashid later thanked Ghani for his support and reiterated his commitment to Afghanistan, a stance he has consistently maintained despite opportunities to move elsewhere.

From the dusty streets of Nangarhar to becoming one of the most sought-after T20 players in the world, Rashid’s journey has reflected Afghanistan’s rise in international cricket. The book traces his path in detail, from being overlooked at the Afghanistan Under-19 trials to emerging as a global star and being named the ICC Player of the Decade in 2020.

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