‘Even I don’t know what exactly happened’ – Rashid Khan on being removed as Afghanistan T20I captain

Rashid Khan has been removed as Afghanistan’s T20I captain following the team’s group stage exit from the 2026 T20 World Cup. The Afghanistan Cricket Board announced the change on March 5, 2026, naming Ibrahim Zadran as the new T20I captain.

The board cited alignment with its long-term strategic vision and recent changes in team management, including the appointment of a new head coach, as the reasons behind the captaincy transition, without disclosing further specifics. Rashid revealed that he was not consulted or informed by the board before the decision was made public.

“Even I don’t know what exactly happened at that time. I came to know [about the captaincy change] when the board announced it,” Rashid told Cricinfo.

Why was Rashid Khan removed as Afghanistan T20I captain?

Afghanistan’s exit from the 2026 T20 World Cup at the group stage directly preceded the board’s decision to change the T20I captain. The Afghanistan Cricket Board pointed to its long-term strategic vision and the appointment of a new head coach as the basis for the leadership change, though no granular explanation was provided publicly.

Rashid had captained Afghanistan in 48 T20Is, winning 26 and losing 22. His most notable achievement as captain was guiding the side to the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup, a historic run that included a victory over West Indies. Reflecting on his tenure, Rashid said,

“Under my captaincy, we reached the T20 World Cup semi-finals, we beat West Indies, but sometimes things are not in your control. But I have moved on now. Whether I’m captain or not, I’m proud that I’m representing Afghanistan and I’m trying to put to use whatever skills and capabilities I have. What I can control is to do well for Afghanistan and make them win,” Rashid said.

How has Ibrahim Zadran fared as Afghanistan T20I captain?

Ibrahim Zadran, who had previously served as Afghanistan’s vice-captain in T20Is, was named as Rashid Khan’s successor on March 5, 2026. His first assignment in the role was a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka in Sharjah, beginning March 13, 2026.

Afghanistan played a three-match T20I series against India under Zadran’s captaincy, losing all three matches. Rashid, continuing as a player in that series, took 4 wickets for 113 runs at an economy rate of 9.82 across the three games, unable to make a mark up to his usual lofty standards.