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Former Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran has passed away in India after fighting a serious illness. It is being said that Zadran was getting treatment at a hospital in India for some time, but he could not recover and eventually lost the battle with life.
Zadran had been receiving treatment at a hospital in New Delhi since January 2026. After he first fell ill in Afghanistan last October, his brother Ghamai Zadran and former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan traveled with him to India for medical care in Delhi.
Afghanistan's Shapoor Zadran passes away in India after illness
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has confirmed the heartbreaking news through a social media post. Zadran had been battling hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).
It is a rare and very serious disease in which the body's immune system becomes overactive and starts attacking healthy cells instead of protecting the body.
The ACB said in an official statement: “With profound grief and deep sorrow, the Afghanistan Cricket Board mourns the passing of former Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran. Shapoor Zadran was one of the foundation-laying figures of Afghanistan cricket, whose dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment played a vital role in the rise and development of the game in our country. He was among the proud cricketers who stood at the heart of Afghanistan’s early cricket journey and helped build the path that brought Afghan cricket to the international stage.”
The statement further reads, “Beyond his achievements on the field, Shapoor Zadran was a true source of inspiration for many young Afghan cricketers and for cricket followers across the world. His fighting spirit, determination, and love for the game gave hope to many and encouraged a generation to dream bigger and believe in the future of Afghanistan cricket.”
Zadran was one of the first fast bowlers who helped Afghanistan make a name in international cricket. He was known for his pace, fighting spirit, and ability to take big wickets under pressure.
During his international career, Zadran represented Afghanistan in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), and several other international tournaments. His strong performances helped Afghanistan grow into a team that could compete against some of the biggest cricket nations in the world.
Shapoor Zadran's international career
He was also part of the Afghanistan teams that qualified for major ICC tournaments, including the ICC World Cup 2015 and the ICC T20 World Cup. Zadran represented Afghanistan in the international arena for more than 10 years, from 2009 to 2020.
During his career, he took 43 wickets in 44 ODI matches and 37 wickets in 36 T20I games. One of his most memorable moments came in the 2015 ODI World Cup, when he scored the winning runs to help Afghanistan register a historic victory over Scotland. Amid this, Abhishek Sharma vs Meta: Delhi High Court pushes personality rights case hearing to July 9.
Shapoor Zadran once dreamed of playing for Pakistan!
Shapoor Zadran was born in Afghanistan's Logar Province. When war broke out, his family moved to Peshawar in Pakistan. He learned and improved his cricket at the Arbab Niaz Stadium and Gymkhana, where he started playing hard-ball cricket in 2001.
In his early days, Shapoor dreamed of playing for Pakistan and looked up to legendary fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar as his biggest inspiration. However, after former Pakistan ODI cricketer Iqbal Sikander began coaching in Afghanistan, Shapoor returned to his home country and started his journey there.
