Former Afghanistan Cricketer Shapoor Zadran Faces Serious Health Crisis

Shapoor Zadran, a former Afghanistan cricketer, is currently in a New Delhi hospital battling Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and life-threatening condition. After initially feeling unwell last October, he was advised to seek treatment in India. Despite a brief recovery, he faced a relapse, leading to his readmission. This article explores his health struggles and the impact on his life and career.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 20, 2026, 17:22 IST

Health Struggles of Shapoor Zadran

Shapoor Zadran, the former Afghanistan fast bowler, is currently fighting for his life after being diagnosed with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and potentially fatal condition. The 38-year-old left-arm bowler is receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of a hospital in New Delhi, where he has been since January. HLH primarily affects children and results in a severely compromised immune system, causing hyperinflammation due to an overactive immune response. This can lead to significant damage to various body tissues, including the bone marrow, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.

According to his younger brother, Ghamai Zadran, Shapoor began feeling unwell last October, prompting doctors in Afghanistan to recommend he seek treatment in India. "It was a very serious infection," Ghamai shared with a sports news outlet. "His entire body was infected, including tuberculosis, which also affected his brain, as revealed by MRI and CT scans." Initially, Shapoor showed improvement and was discharged from the hospital, but unfortunately, he experienced a relapse after 20 days. Ghamai added, "The doctor suggested regular check-ups. Shapoor felt better for about three weeks before the infection returned, leading to his readmission to the hospital." Throughout his career from 2009 to 2020, Shapoor represented Afghanistan in 44 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 36 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).