Shapoor Zadran, former Afghanistan pacer, fights rare, life-threatening illness in Delhi hospital

Shapoor Zadran, who was admitted in January this year, is now in a critical stage after being diagnosed with Stage Four HLH.

Updated on: Apr 20, 2026, 17:09:08 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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Former Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran is battling a rare, life-threatening condition, Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), and is currently in the intensive care unit of a New Delhi hospital. Zadran, who was admitted in January this year, is now in a critical stage after being diagnosed with Stage Four HLH.

Shapoor Zadran retired from international cricket in January 2025

This advanced form of HLH predominantly affects children but can also occur in adults, particularly those vulnerable to infections or with a history of cancer. Zadran is suffering from severe hyperinflammation caused by an overactive immune system, which can lead to extensive damage to the body’s tissues.

Zadran first felt unwell last October, as revealed by his younger brother, Ghamai Zadran, and was advised to seek medical treatment in India. With assistance from Rashid Khan and Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman Mirwais Ashraf, Zadran secured his Indian visa. While Ashraf reached out to ICC chairman Jay Shah, Rashid leveraged his IPL connections, including his franchise Gujarat Titans and contacts within Mumbai Indians-owned teams across global leagues.

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Zadran arrived in New Delhi on January 18, accompanied by his wife and former Afghanistan teammate Asghar Afghan, and was admitted to hospital. Ghamai joined him a week later.

“It was a very serious infection,” Ghamai told ESPNcricinfo. “His whole body was affected, including tuberculosis (TB). It also spread to his brain, which was revealed after MRI and CT scans.”

Ghamai revealed that after a few weeks of treatment, Zadran was discharged, but his condition deteriorated again after three weeks when he complained of stomach pain and had to be readmitted.

“The doctor said we could come in for regular check-ups,” Ghamai said. “He was feeling good for about 20 days before the infection returned. Then he developed a fever and tested positive for dengue. His immunity was very weak as his red blood cell count had dropped significantly.”

Last month, the left-arm pacer — who represented Afghanistan in 80 internationals (44 ODIs and 36 T20Is) between 2009 and 2020 — underwent a bone marrow test, which confirmed Stage Four HLH.

Currently, Zadran, who retired from international cricket last year, speaks very little and spends most of his time sleeping. Ghamai revealed that he has lost nearly 14 kilograms.

“We have hope that he will improve day by day,” Ghamai said. “The steroids he has been given recently seem to be working, and that has given us hope.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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