EAM Swaraj tweets on getting Rashid to play for India, Afghan President replies

Interestingly, Afghanistan will make their historic Test debut against India in about three week’s time and Rashid will play a key role for the visitors.

“I have seen all the tweets. Citizenship matters are dealt with by Ministry of Home affairs,” Swaraj wrote on Twitter. However, she deleted the tweet later.

However, Rashid Khan’s performance is not limited to cricket only. Coming from Afghanistan, he has been an ambassador of the pain-stricken nation. Therefore, Afghanistan officials were quick to react.

However, according to ICC rules, it is not possible for Rashid to play for India or any other country in the next four years.

As per the current rules set by ICC, a player is prohibited from representing one country if they have represented another ICC Member at Under 19 level or above, in an ICC sanctioned match (Test matches, ODIs, ICC Global or regional event) in the immediately preceding four years.

Seeing the Indian fans and Sushma Swaraj’s keen on interest on Rashid Khan, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday tagged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on twitter and said that Rashid is an asset to the cricketing world and they have no plans of letting him go anywhere else.

Hundreds of requests did not elude the Indian Government as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj acknowledged it by saying that she had gone through all the reactions on social media but the matter of awarding an Indian citizenship to a foreign resident rests with the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Rashid’s job had just started as he spun a web and derailed the Knight Riders’ chase by picking up crucial wickets of Robin Uthappa, Chris Lynn and Andre Russell.

Rashid was brilliant in the field too. It was his run out that started the wicket-spree for Sunrisers when his rocket-arm that found Nitish Rana short of his crease. If that was not enough, he also took two catches in the crucial last over to seal the victory for his side.

Rashid Khan’s outstanding performance has forced the Indian fans to drool over him, so much so that social media was flooded with messages of making Rashid play for India.

Netizens even demanded an Indian citizenship to Rashid Khan for his outstanding performance for the second year in a row in the IPL.

Rashid Khan is currently on cloud nine. The Afghanistan leggie has spun the Sunrisers Hyderabad to their second IPL final.

Rashid helped struggling Hyderabad post 174/7 by scoring bulk of the 50 runs in the last three overs which proved to be the difference at the end. He took 26 runs off the last over and remained unbeaten on 34 off just 10 deliveries.

The young leg spinner starred with both bat and ball as Sunrisers beat hosts Kolkata Knight Riders by 13 runs at the Eden Gardens.