The Rashid Khan-led side crashed out of the tournament in the group stage itself.
If someone had expressed before the Asia Cup 2025 that Afghanistan would be one of the teams not to make it to the Super Four, it would have been pretty surprising. Though they have had moments which haven’t gone their way, Rashid Khan & Co. were one of the favourites to make it to the top four. However, what followed was distant from that possibility. The Afghans side crashed out of the tournament in the group stage itself.
Before the commencement of their ongoing series against Bangladesh in Sharjah, Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan voiced his opinions on their early exit from the Asia Cup 2025, and a lot more. The team was regarded as the ‘second best in Asia’ before the commencement of the tournament. However, Rashid claimed that the players were never the ones who put that narrative out.
After winning their opening game against Hong Kong by a comfortable margin of 94 runs, the team lost both their next matches against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The fixture against Bangladesh was a close-fought battle, but Afghanistan fell short by eight runs. They scored 169 in their final group stage fixture, which wasn’t enough against Sri Lanka. As a result, the Afghans were eliminated along with Hong Kong.
Rashid Khan cleared the air, stating that it was not something the players voiced. Afghanistan, being the second-best team in Asia, was a narrative put out by the media. Rashid stated that the tag was given to them because of their consistent performances.
But the Gujarat Titans (GT) spinner is also aware that if they do not perform well, the Afghans can go down the rankings. Afghanistan have surely made their name as one of the most improved teams to have come up the ranks at the biggest stage. They have beaten stronger teams in the past, and their talent shows what they can achieve in the future.
The team managed to beat England in the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year and also beat Australia in the T20 World Cup in 2024. It is due to these achievements that Rashid Khan feels the media and fans have presented them with the tag of being the second best in Asia. However, the team is more focused on what is to come.
“I feel we haven’t given ourselves that tag. If you look into Asia Cup, World Cup semi-final, ODI World Cup, we beat in big teams. Champions Trophy, we beat England. That’s why we got the tag. We always trying our best to be better team and to perform better on the day. Sometimes you do well, sometimes you don’t. That’s a part of the game” said Rashid in an interview.
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After their elimination from the Asia Cup 2025, the Afghans were criticised heavily. It is a tough pill to swallow for any team, and Rashid accepted that the team should have performed better. The Afghanistan skipper also spoke about the mockery where masses start making fun of a team, and expressed that he doesn’t appreciate it.
To add to that, the 27-year-old reasoned that Afghanistan had not played a lot of T20Is before coming into the coveted Asian tournament. The tri-series, which they played before the mega-event, was the only base for the team to have some match practice under their belt. But for the Afghan skipper, staying competitive and having the right approach is paramount.
Nevertheless, the Afghanistan side seems to have a clear objective ahead. Rashid mentioned that the team are looking at the upcoming series against Bangladesh as a stepping stone towards improving for the T20 World Cup in early 2026. The team is aware that they will have their share of disappointments, but they are ready to learn from that and give their best shot.
“It is not like we did not play competitive cricket in Asia Cup. For us, every game is competitive. We are not here just to have fun, enjoy, and then go back. We have a target, and the target is how we are going to be a perfect and balanced side for the next World Cup. If we win now, and we don’t win in the World Cup, for me, that’s more upsetting”, concluded Rashid Khan.
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