From Magician To Mediocre - The Shocking Rashid Khan Downfall No One Really Talks About

Rashid Khan in action (Source: AFP)

Not so long ago, Rashid Khan meant business. You looked around match-winners in T20 cricket, and you saw the best above all, who can spin a web around anyone and everyone – the master from Afghanistan who revived the art of leg spin since Shane Warne’s departure.

Fast forward to today, and all the hype sounds like a myth. Whether it is due to predictability or a cautious approach from the batters, the non-effectiveness from Rashid’s bowling is ineffective when required. In fact, that played an important role in Afghanistan’s group stage exit from the T20 World Cup 2026.

The Stark Rashid Khan Impact Difference Between World Cup 2024 & World Cup 2026

During the T20 World Cup 2024, Afghanistan were pooled alongside India, Australia and Bangladesh in the Super 8 stage. Rashid’s performance was impeccable in all three fixtures, taking 3/26 against India, 1/23 (in four overs) against Australia and 4/23 against Bangladesh.

Moreover, Rashid tore into New Zealand single-handedly when Afghanistan faced them in the group stage, taking 4/17 to register an 84-run victory. It all helped Afghanistan secure the first-ever semi-final berth in the history of the tournament, only to suffer a heartbreaking rain-marred clash against South Africa.

[Rashid Khan Stats]

However, Rashid failed to deliver this time around. Even though his overall numbers don’t look that bad, courtesy of claiming 2/19 against Canada and 1/24 against the UAE, his sub-par stats against New Zealand (1/36 in four overs) and South Africa (2/28) did not power Afghanistan to reach even the Super 8 stage.

Also Read: Jonathan Trott's Last Day As Afghanistan Head Coach Gets Rashid Khan Emotional

Yes, Afghanistan were in a group of death in the T20 World Cup 2026, but considering Rashid’s fearsome reputation, he had a golden opportunity to prove the doubters wrong after a not-so-great  IPL 2025 campaign with Gujarat Titans.

Stats Don't Lie,  But Sometimes They Do!

Looking at Rashid Khan’s T20I numbers in 2025, one might ask the other if there’s even a reason to question him? Yes, actually there is, only if you go deep enough to grasp the actual reality.

[Rashid Khan T20I numbers in 2025]

Even though Rashid took a good number of wickets in T20Is last year, Afghanistan’s opponents were an unsettled Pakistan, Bangladesh, the UAE, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe. 

Yes, one can say that it is not his fault for not having heavyweights on the other side of Afghanistan, but one can easily expect more from him who held the record of being the No. 1-ranked T20I bowler in the world for a record 764 days, and 1136 days in total.

Not Even Lethal In T20 Asia Cups

Rashid’s overall numbers in the Asia Cups in the shortest format are not significant either. Thanks to 3/25 against the UAE and 2/10 against Hong Kong, his average in the tournament over the years is just under 20. The only big test – against India – which came in 2022, Rashid failed miserably, claiming figures of 0/33 in his four overs. 

No wonder India won the game by 101 runs – good enough to humiliate the opposition.

[Rashid Khan In Men's T20 Asia Cups]

Final Verdict

Of course, Rashid Khan and his legacy are beyond T20I and time, and there is no denying that he played a pivotal role in changing the course of Afghanistan cricket history. Still, time does change, and new heroes emerge gradually to take over the throne.

Nevertheless, with just being a 27-year-old having already got 193 T20I wickets, there is still time to re-form the Rashid Khan legacy. All he needs to do is tweak a few things just when people are writing him off. Sunil Narine had done this in the past amid different challenges, and Rashid Khan is more than capable enough to repeat the same.

Also Read: AFG vs SL 2026 Schedule For T20Is, ODIs Announced By Afghanistan Board