Rashid Khan reflects on his dream of playing in Afghanistan (Source: @LoyalSachinFan/x.com)
Cricket has a history spanning centuries, but Afghanistan stormed onto the global stage less than two decades ago. Despite being a late runner, they established themselves as one of the formidable forces of the cricket world.
Fans across the globe watched the Afghan players’ brilliance, but their home fans missed out on those live actions. As the team gears up for the T20 World Cup 2026, spinner Rashid Khan revealed that playing international cricket in front of their own crowd is still a dream.
Rashid Khan opens up on his biggest cricketing dream
Since cricket’s introduction to the sporting world, the game has evolved, with many teams rising through the ranks over the years. Those teams climbed to the ranks, but the rapid rise, like Afghanistan, is unreal. A nation that earned ODI status in 2009 and Test status much later in 2017, turned heads with their exceptional performance as the Afghan players made their place in fans’ hearts.
Even though they tasted some of the unreal cricket glories over the years, there is one wish that is yet to be touched by them. They played at every corner but have yet to play an international match on their home soil. As Afghanistan has been hit by hit, war and a few other circumstances, cricket has been away from their on soil.
As Afghanistan gears up for the T20 World Cup 2026, Rashid Khan has opened up about a wish that still remains unfulfilled. While talking about this, he said playing international cricket on home soil is bigger than any dream.
“For us, we play an international game in Afghanistan, and all the media, all these people will see how people back home in Afghanistan, how they're welcoming international players, and how they're enjoying cricket. That's something which is more than a dream, to be playing international cricket in your own country,” he said.
Rashid Khan applauds Indian fans for their unwavering support
Even though they have yet to play an international match on their home soil, Indian fans welcomed them with open arms. From their IPL heroics to bilateral series in India, the support has never wavered, and Afghan spinner Rashid Khan gratefully acknowledged their unwavering love.
“When we play IPL here, when we play an international game, we see how much their [India's] international stars are supported by the local fans and how much they give them love - like we get so much love, I am not saying we don't get love here, but whenever we play here, we get lots of love and lots of support, especially playing in IPL and also World Cup we played, we have got a huge amount of support, we haven't felt like being away from Afghanistan,” he said.
Rashid Khan is confident international cricket will finally reach Afghanistan
Amidst overwhelming support from fans around the world, Afghanistan’s players have longed to play on their home soil. While talking about that, Rashid Khan is confident that one day teams will tour Afghanistan.
“But when you play in your own country, it's a kind of different feeling and the world will see the country Afghanistan as well, how beautiful it is, but hopefully, one day we make that possible that international team comes and they play cricket there,” Rashid Khan added.
With the T20 World Cup 2026 underway, Afghanistan now turns its focus to the tournament. While facing New Zealand in their first match on February 8, they will be eyeing a positive start to their journey.
