Rashid Khan has established himself as one of the biggest names in T20 cricket, with more than 700 wickets in the format and a long list of individual accolades to his name.
However, the Afghanistan star believes there is still one achievement that would mean more to him than anything else: winning a World Cup for his country.
Rashid has been one of the biggest contributors to Afghanistan’s rise in international cricket over the last decade. His ability to pick up wickets with his wrist-spin and deliver under pressure has played a key role in helping Afghanistan compete against some of the world’s strongest teams.
The impact of that progress was visible during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Afghanistan stunned defending champions England and also defeated Pakistan and Sri Lanka during an impressive campaign. They ultimately missed out on a semi-final spot, but their performances established them as a serious threat in global cricket.
Afghanistan then reached another historic milestone at the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup. They defeated New Zealand and Australia before making it to the semi-finals for the first time in their history.
Despite these achievements, Rashid still has one major item left on his list.
Speaking to Hindustan Times about his legacy and what he wants to achieve next, Rashid admitted that his individual milestones are special but insisted that winning a World Cup with Afghanistan remains his biggest ambition.
“Winning the World Cup. I think that is one thing,” Rashid said.
The 27-year-old reflected on some of the major individual milestones he has achieved, including crossing the 700-wicket mark in T20 cricket and being named the ICC Men’s T20I Player of the Decade.
“Personal achievements are there, like taking 700 wickets in T20s, taking wickets in ODIs, being the Player of the Decade (ICC Men’s T20I Player of the Year); that was a very big achievement for me. Playing for four years and being the Player of the Decade, I think it’s impossible; that was a massive achievement for me,” he added.
However, Rashid believes a World Cup triumph would carry far greater significance than any individual award. Afghanistan came close to achieving that goal during the 2024 T20 World Cup, when they reached the semi-finals before losing to South Africa.
“But the bigger achievement that I want to have on my record is winning a World Cup. And we were close in the 2024 World Cup – we went to the semi-final. But that is one thing that is always in my mind: to win a World Cup for Afghanistan,” Rashid concluded.