Rashid Khan, Omarzai Withdraw from Major League Cricket 2025 Amid Player Breaks

By Mehr Jan

MI New York will begin its Major League Cricket 2025 campaign without two of its biggest names. 

Star legspinner Rashid Khan and allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai have both opted to skip this year’s tournament, citing a need to step away from the game temporarily.

Rashid, who was a standout performer in the last MLC season with 10 wickets at a tidy economy of 6.15, will be a significant miss for MI. His absence is particularly striking given that he anchored the team’s bowling attack despite MI New York managing just two wins in seven games in 2024.

The break follows a lackluster IPL 2025 campaign for Rashid, who played for Gujarat Titans. He endured what was statistically his poorest IPL season to date—collecting only nine wickets with an expensive average of 57.11 and conceding a record 33 sixes, the most allowed by any bowler in a single IPL season.

Afghanistan Contingent in Flux

Azmatullah Omarzai, another cornerstone of Afghanistan's cricketing rise, will also miss MLC 2025. 

The fast-bowling allrounder last played for Punjab Kings, who finished as runners-up in IPL 2025. 

Despite flashes of potential, Omarzai managed only 57 runs across five innings and took eight wickets with a costly economy of 10.33.

While MI New York grapples with the twin losses, there’s a silver lining for the franchise in the form of Naveen-ul-Haq. 

The Afghan seamer has joined the MI squad and will bolster the team’s bowling attack under the captaincy of Nicholas Pooran. MI kicks off its season against Texas Super Kings at Oakland Coliseum on June 14.

League-wide, Afghanistan’s representation in the MLC remains complicated due to a newly enforced U.S. travel ban affecting citizens from 12 nations, including Afghanistan. 

Still, players like Noor Ahmed (Texas Super Kings) and Waqar Salamkheil (Seattle Orcas) have successfully linked up with their teams. Meanwhile, Gulbadin Naib and Fazalhaq Farooqi, both signed to the Orcas, are still awaiting visa approvals.