New Delhi, April 20, 2026
Former Afghanistan pacer Shapoor Zadran is in a critical condition at a hospital in New Delhi after being diagnosed with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and life-threatening immune disorder.
Zadran, who played 44 ODIs and 36 T20Is for Afghanistan from 2009 to 2020, is currently in the intensive care unit (ICU) with stage four HLH. Under this condition, a person suffers from hyper-inflammation, which leads to damage in tissues, including the bone marrow, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.
His younger brother Ghamai Zadran, who resides in Canada, said Shapoor first felt unwell in October last year and was advised to seek treatment in India. With support from Rashid Khan and Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chairman Mirwais Ashraf, Shapoor’s visa was fast-tracked, and he was admitted to the hospital in New Delhi on January 18.
“It was a very serious infection. His whole body was full of the infection, including TB (tuberculosis). It also spread to his brain, which was revealed after an MRI and CT scan,” Ghamai was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
While Ashraf spoke about Shapoor to ICC chairman Jay Shah, Rashid reached out to his contacts in the franchise circuit, including the Gujarat Titans, for whom he plays in the IPL. Rashid had even come to meet Shapoor when Afghanistan had their Men’s T20 World Cup group game in New Delhi this year.
On April 3, Afghanistan wrist-spinner AM Ghazanfar, who plays for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026, visited Shapoor a day before he had the game against the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan has been shuttling between Dubai and Delhi to assist Shapoor, while Rashid and other Afghanistan players have stayed in touch with doctors and family. Despite initial improvement, his condition worsened with recurring infections, dengue, and severely depleted red blood cell counts.
A bone marrow test in late March confirmed stage four HLH for Shapoor. “The doctor said we could drop in for the check-ups frequently. He (Shapoor) was feeling good for about 20 days before he got the infection again. Then we admitted him to the hospital (again).
“He started getting a fever, and then he tested positive for dengue. His immunity was very weak as the red blood cell count was severely depleted. He doesn’t have much vitality. We have hope that he will improve day by day. The steroids Shapoor has been given recently seem to be working, and that has given us hope,” added Ghamai.(Agency)
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