Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has set himself one defining career ambition — winning an ICC World Cup for Afghanistan before he hangs up his boots, whether in the T20 or ODI format. Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing T20I series against India in New Delhi, Rashid opened up on his batting evolution, his recovery from back surgery, the captaincy change, and what keeps him grounded through the grind of international cricket.

The batting transformation

At the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday night, Rashid contributed 28 runs with the bat and claimed 3 wickets for 36 runs as Afghanistan suffered another defeat. But his innings — which included three boundaries off Arshdeep Singh in the 18th over, highlighted by an inside-out loft over cover for six — was no accident.

Rashid credits his batting resurgence to his time at the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, where head coach Ashish Nehra explicitly told him he would be treated as a batter, not just a bowling option. 'I have always wanted to bat; I started playing cricket by batting. For a team, 20-25 runs are very important, and I wanted to do that for my team, especially in T20s,' Rashid said.

The technical architect behind that improvement is Naeem Amin, a trainer who also worked with Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya during their time in England. Rashid describes Amin as his go-to person — someone who messaged him within minutes of Tuesday's match ending to highlight the straight six over mid-off as the session's best moment. 'All my improved batting has been done by Naeem Amin. Not just in batting, but also in bowling. My go-to person is Naeem Amin,' Rashid said.

Afghanistan's rise and the consistency challenge

Rashid traces Afghanistan's transformation as a cricketing force to the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, specifically to their famous win over then-reigning champions England at a venue in New Delhi. That result, followed by victories over Sri Lanka and Pakistan, changed the team's self-perception. 'Exactly, everything started from here,' he recalled.

The momentum carried into the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup, where Afghanistan defeated New Zealand and Australia to reach the semi-finals — the furthest the side has ever progressed in the tournament. More recently, a win over England in Pakistan during the Champions Trophy added another milestone. 'That's when our cricket reached another level. Now, it's a tough challenge for us to maintain consistency,' Rashid said.

He is acutely aware of the difference between occasional upsets and sustained excellence. 'We want to do it again and again — we don't just do it once, and that's it. That is because when you do it again and again, that's when you show consistency,' he said.

The captaincy change and what comes next

Rashid held the T20I captaincy until Afghanistan's group-stage exit from the 2025 T20 World Cup, after which the role was handed to Ibrahim Zadran. When asked about it, Rashid let out a brief laugh before responding with characteristic equanimity. 'Le li (it was taken). Whatever happens, it will be for the good. We don't know what the future holds for us. For me, it was my destiny to lead Afghanistan to this much,' he said.

He spoke warmly of Zadran, calling him a 'good young guy' with the skill to lead the team to more victories. Notably, he drew a parallel with Jonathan Trott, Afghanistan's former head coach, in the context of roles and destinies in cricket.

Back surgery recovery and the Red Bull performance centre

Rashid's career was disrupted by back surgery following the 2023 ODI World Cup, with extended pain management required thereafter. His recovery has been so complete in 2026 that he describes the year in Hindi as 'sabse zabardast' — very fantastic. 'The biggest thing is that my back supports me a lot. I don't get any complaints from my back,' he said.

A key turning point was a visit to Red Bull's High Performance Centre in Austria, where a full-body assessment identified his physical strengths and weaknesses. 'The 2-3 days that I spent there were very big days for me. I was so impressed with it that I wanted to go again,' he said, adding that he plans to return for a 2-3 week training block. He has also kept his approach to nutrition deliberately simple — avoiding rigid restrictions, eating what his body asks for, and allowing himself biryani once a week. His favourite food, he notes, is Dal Makhani.

Fatherhood, lucky charms, and the World Cup dream

Off the field, the biggest change in Rashid's life over the past year has been the birth of his son, Azlan. He credits Azlan with helping him recover mentally from bad days faster than before. 'Before he was born, my mind wouldn't get fresh quickly. But now when I see his face or video-call him, my whole body relaxes,' he said. He also cheerfully attributes his wicket-taking form to Azlan's presence — pointing out that the five wickets in England and 12 scalps across three matches in Ireland all came when Azlan was at the ground or watching.

Beyond the personal milestones, Rashid's ultimate measure of a career well spent remains singular. 'I want Afghanistan to win one World Cup by the time I am there in the team. I think this will be a big achievement for me. I hope that before I retire, I have this in the book that yes, we won the championship or a World Cup, whether it is T20 or ODI,' he said.

With Afghanistan needing a win in the third T20I to avoid a 3-0 series sweep against India, the immediate test of that ambition arrives soon enough.