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Massive Setback For MI! Rashid Khan And Azmatullah Omarzai Likely To Miss MLC 2025

Anurag Dasgupta

Rashid Khan to miss MLC [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com] Rashid Khan to miss MLC [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com]

The MI New York team in the Major League Cricket have been dealt with two massive blows as their key Afghanistan players, Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai are unliekly to participate in the upcoming tournament. As per ESPNCricinfo, the duo have opted out of the tournament and have taken a break from Cricket.

Both the players were a key component for MI New York in the upcoming edition but now the side have to participate without them and it could come back to haunt the franchise. 

Rashid's absence will certainly hurt the franchise as he was their best bowler last season, picking up 10 wickets. Even though his team finished at the fourth position, Rashid's performance was lauded by everyone.

While Rashid last played for Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator of the IPL 2025 season, Omarzai, too, was a part of the Punjab Kings squad which finished as the runners up of the tournament.

Why Rashid is taking a break from Cricket?

Over the last few months, Rashid has suffered multiple injuries which has affected his performance. In the recently concluded IPL, Rashid had his worst season as the spinner scalped just 9 wickets at an economy of 9.34. It was for the first time since his IPL debut that the Afghan spinner failed to enter the double digits in terms of wickets in a season.

Hence, to rejuvenate and get his mojo back Rashid perhaps decided to take a break from the game. The same could be set about Omarzai, who had an average IPL tournament and was not that effective for the Punjab Kings.

Key Afghan trio set to feature in MLC

On the contrary, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad and Waqar Salamkheil have joined their respective franchises for the upcoming season. There were doubts over Afghan players' participation due to travel ban imposed by the USA government on entry of citizens from 12 countries and Afghanistan was one of them.