Rashid Khan Arman (born 20 September 1998) is an Afghan international cricketer who captains the Afghanistan national team in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). A right-arm leg-spin bowler and aggressive right-handed lower-order batsman, he is widely regarded as one of the leading limited-overs spinners of his generation. He has represented several franchise teams across major Twenty20 leagues, including Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Adelaide Strikers in Australia's Big Bash League (BBL), Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Band-e-Amir Dragons in Afghanistan's Shpageeza Cricket League and MI New York in Major League Cricket (MLC).
| Full name | Rashid Khan Arman |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 September 1998 |
| Nationality | Afghan |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm leg break |
| Role | Bowling all-rounder |
| National side | Afghanistan |
| Current captaincy | Afghanistan (T20I) |
| IPL franchise | Gujarat Titans |
| Other franchises | Adelaide Strikers (BBL), Lahore Qalandars (PSL), Band-e-Amir Dragons (Shpageeza), MI New York (MLC) |
Rashid Khan emerged as a central figure in Afghanistan's rise in international cricket during the late 2010s. In June 2017, he recorded the best bowling figures for an associate nation in a One Day International (ODI). In February 2018, he became the youngest player to top the ICC Player Rankings for bowlers in ODIs, and later the same month also topped the ICC Player Rankings for bowlers in T20Is. In September 2018, following his performances at the 2018 Asia Cup, he rose to the number one position in the ICC's all-rounder rankings.
Rashid was among the eleven cricketers who played in Afghanistan's inaugural Test match, against India in June 2018. In that match he returned the most expensive bowling figures by a debutant in a nation's maiden Test. In September 2019, he led Afghanistan in a one-off Test against Bangladesh, and at the age of 20 years and 350 days became the youngest cricketer to captain a Test team.
In March 2018, during the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Rashid captained Afghanistan in an ODI for the first time. At 19 years and 165 days, he became the youngest player to captain an international cricket team. In the final of the qualifier against the West Indies, he became the fastest and youngest bowler to take 100 wickets in ODIs, dismissing Shai Hope in his 44th match and breaking the previous record of 52 matches held by Mitchell Starc of Australia.
In June 2018, in the first T20I against Bangladesh, he became the fastest bowler in terms of time to take 50 wickets in T20Is, reaching the milestone in two years and 220 days. In October 2021, he became the fastest bowler in terms of matches to reach 100 wickets in T20I cricket, achieving the feat in his 53rd match.
In April 2019, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) appointed Rashid as the team's T20I captain, replacing Asghar Afghan, and named him vice-captain of the ODI side. During the 2019 Cricket World Cup in June 2019, he played his 100th international match for Afghanistan. After the World Cup he was made captain across all three formats, but in December 2019 the ACB reappointed Asghar Afghan as captain in all formats.
Rashid Khan's rapid ascent has been closely tied to Afghanistan's emergence as a competitive international cricketing nation. His record-setting performances as a wrist-spinner, combined with his presence in nearly every major T20 franchise league, have made him one of the most recognisable Afghan sportspersons globally and a key figure in the growth of cricket in associate and emerging nations.