Afghanistan allrounder Rashid Khan will be absent from the 2025 edition of Major League Cricket. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Rashid, who plays for MI New York, has opted out of the tournament, which gets underway on Friday, to take a break.

Rashid’s absence is bound to hurt Mumbai as he was their best bowler last MLC season, picking up 10 wickets at 6.15, even though his team finished fourth with just two wins in seven matches. Rashid last played in May in IPL 2025 for Gujarat Titans, who lost in the Eliminator against Mumbai Indians. It was the worst IPL season for Rashid as he got just nine wickets at an economy of 9.34 runs an over and average of 57.11. It was the first time his overall wickets column had failed to be in double digits since his IPL debut in 2017. Batters dominated Rashid throughout the season as he conceded 33 sixes, the most by any bowler in one single edition of the IPL.

In a further jolt to Mumbai’s plan, another Afghanistan allrounder – Azmatullah Omarzai – is also set to miss the MLC as he, too, is learned, to have taken a break from playing. Like Rashid, Omarzai, too, last played in the IPL where he was part of Punjab Kings who finished as runner-up.

In some good news for the MLC, though, Naveen-ul-Haq (Mumbai), Noor Ahmed (Texas Super Kings) and Waqar Salamkheil (Seattle Orcas) have joined their respective teams after doubts emerged over the participation of Afghanistan players due to the travel ban imposed by the US government on entry of citizens from 12 countries. The ban became effective this week with Afghanistan among the 12 countries which also includes: Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Two other Afghanistan players – Gulbadin Naib and Fazalhaq Farooqi, who play for Orcas – are understood to be awaiting visas to travel to play in MLC.