Rashid Khan is back in action! After missing several matches since the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, he is set to return as Afghanistan prepare to face South Africa in their first-ever bilateral ODI series. 

Rashid’s return is crucial for Afghanistan, especially with Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman unavailable. Rashid had missed Afghanistan’s one-off Test against New Zealand, which was abandoned without a ball bowled in Noida. The Afghanistan Cricket Board had announced that he couldn’t play red-ball cricket until he received medical clearance.

After the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rashid underwent back surgery and was out of action for four months. During this time, he missed the series against the UAE, India, Sri Lanka, and the ODI series against Ireland. He made his comeback in the T20I series against Ireland and then played in the IPL, T20 World Cup, Major League Cricket (MLC), The Hundred, and the Shpageeza Cricket League. Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury during The Hundred and later faced back issues again. Now, fully recovered, Rashid is eager to return to ODIs against South Africa, with the series starting on September 18.

Another player to watch is Azmatullah Omarzai, who is also in the squad. Omarzai has had a good start to his ODI career, playing 27 matches and scoring 719 runs, including a career-best 149* against Sri Lanka in February 2024. 

With Rashid back in the squad and Omarzai in solid form, the series promises to be full of action.