Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan harbours dream of playing in Kabul
Khan will captain the surprise 2024 T20 World Cup semi-finalists against New Zealand in their 2026 opener in Chennai on Sunday.
However, he said that the biggest reward for him would be to one day lead Afghanistan in front of his own supporters in the capital Kabul.
“Yes, to be honest this is bigger than the World Cup for me and the team,” Khan told reporters.
“Then all the media, all these people will see what the people are like in Afghanistan.
“How do they welcome international players and enjoy cricket?”
The war-torn country has never hosted an international match, instead having to play its home matches at accepted venues in India and the United Arab Emirates. “Playing international cricket in your home country is more than a dream,” Khan said.
“It’s a different feeling when you play in your own country and the world will also see how beautiful Afghanistan is.”
Afghanistan had beaten New Zealand, West Indies, Australia and Bangladesh en route to the semi-finals two years ago.
However, this time they are in a seemingly difficult Group D, where they will also have to face South Africa, Canada and the UAE, with only the top two places advancing to the Super Eight.
