The Afghanistan spinner, who represented Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2023, played the final against Chennai Super Kings earlier this week. He, however, did not take part in the presentation ceremony that followed after GT lost the game, with reports suggesting that he flew straight to Sri Lanka in the early hours of May 30, moments after the final ended, for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan from June 2.

However, he was not named in the XI for the first ODI on Friday.

Why is Rashid Khan not taking part in the first ODI?

The 24-year-old is a regular face in T20 leagues around the world whilst also ensuring that he does not skip international duty. The hectic schedule seems to have affected Rashid, who is suffering from a lower back injury, which forced him to miss the first ODI against Sri Lanka.

He has also already been ruled out of the second ODI, on June 4, and is expected to return for the third game, scheduled for June 7.

How many matches has Rashid Khan played in the last 12 months?

Since June 2022, Rashid has played every international game for Afghanistan, featuring in 22 T20Is and six ODI matches. He has also played as many as 81 T20 games around the world, representing seven franchises in this period.

Besides playing in the IPL, he has also participated in the Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, SA20, the Caribbean Premier League, the Vitality T20 Blast (last year) and The Hundred.

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When did Rashid Khan last miss an ODI?

Rashid Khan made his ODI debut in 2015 and has played 86 games since then. He has only missed four ODIs since then – two of which came in 2015 itself. Since 2015, Rashid has played all but two ODIs for his country, including missing today’s game. Before the first ODI against Sri Lanka, Rashid last skipped a 50-over match on May 10, 2019, against Scotland.

Over the next four years, Rashid participated in 29 consecutive ODI matches.

Overall, Rashid has missed eight internationals since his debut, five of which were in 2015. He did not take part in the first Test against Zimbabwe in 2021 due to a finger injury.

In short, since 2015, Rashid has missed only three international games.

What is Afghanistan’s XI for the first ODI v Sri Lanka?

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik