Afghanistan batter Rahmat Shah is “most likely” out of the ongoing ODI series against Bangladesh after suffering a calf injury, team physio Nirmalan Thanabalasingam confirmed. Rahmat had earlier retired hurt but attempted to return to bat after Afghanistan lost their ninth wicket in Saturday’s second ODI. He faced just one ball before he was unable to stand at the crease.
Thanabalasingam and the ground paramedics rushed to assist him, eventually taking him off the field in a wheelchair. “He unfortunately succumbed to his injury, so he is out now,” Thanabalasingam said. “We will do all the right imaging and assessments tomorrow. He will be out for some time, I think.”
Rahmat initially felt discomfort while attempting a single in the 15th over. The movement, which appeared innocuous, aggravated his calf, leaving him struggling to walk off the field. At the time, he had scored nine runs and was batting at his usual No. 4 position.
His absence proved costly for Afghanistan, who had relied heavily on his contributions in the first ODI, where he scored a valuable half-century and became the first Afghanistan batter to reach 4,000 ODI runs. Without him, Afghanistan’s middle order collapsed, with only Ibrahim Zadran providing some stability.
Rahmat’s return to the crease was met with applause from Afghanistan fans in Abu Dhabi, but it lasted only a single delivery. He was struck in the abdomen by a googly from Rishad Hossain, and despite assistance from Mehidy Hasan Miraz, he could not continue. Afghanistan’s innings concluded at 190 in 44.5 overs, leaving the team short-handed in a crucial match.
Rahmat’s injury is a major blow for Afghanistan as they attempt to recover in the series, highlighting the importance of their experienced middle-order batter in both leadership and run-scoring.
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