Sport

Rashid Khan makes waves as he steps into role of IPL all-rounder

Published

3 years ago

May 1, 2022

Rashid Khan is known as one of the best leg-spinners in the world but commentators are starting to wonder if he isn’t fast becoming an impressive all-rounder, especially in the IPL short format.

After having been snapped up by the new team on the block, the Gujarat Titans, Rashid’s batting skills are on the mark in this year’s tournament - skills which have helped his team leap-frog their way up to the top of the points table.

With a reputation of being a wicket-taker formed by playing all these years in IPL, the batters don’t take risks against him. This year however, in IPL 2022, batters have taken a more defensive approach with him - leaving him with fewer wickets than he’d like.

However, he has scalped nine wickets from nine matches with an outstanding economy of 7.11.

Over the years, he has been phenomenal in the IPL taking 102 wickets from 85 matches with an economy of just 6.41 but this year, Rashid has stepped up his game to become a key batter in only a few matches.

Going into the IPL 2022, the responsibility of finishing the innings was going to be in the hands of Rahul Tewatia and Hardik Pandya. David Miller was also in the team but his IPL numbers were not so impressive as he had scored only 124 runs in 2021 while 213 runs in 2019.

This meant the batting not only lacked depth but Hardik started playing in the middle-order for the team.

In came Rashid. In the game against Chennai Super Kings, the team was chasing a target of 170 runs but were reduced to 87/5 at one stage. David Miller went on to rescue the team with his half-century but Rashid played a perfect supporting act by playing a cameo.

His knock was so effective that it turned the game on its head and a tough target was within the team’s reach.

Rashid secured 25 runs from a single over off Chris Jordan, which tilted the game in Gujarat Titans’ favor.

His cameo of 40 runs from 21 balls helped his team win the game by three wickets in the last over but his next appearance with the bat came against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which had been on a winning streak.

Against Sunrisers, it was one of the worst days for him with the ball as he leaked 45 runs without taking any wicket and the rival team went on to post a total of 195/6.

Chasing such a huge target was going to be tough for Gujarat Titans which were reduced to 140/5 when Rashid walked in to bat.

But he was a picture of calmness and produced a remarkable finish.

Speaking to the media about his batting skills this week, Rashid said he has been quietly working on it for the past two to three years.

"From the last two-three years, I've been working on my batting. I have that self-belief that I should be there and finishing for the team," Rashid said,

"I have those skills and talent but it was just about the confidence in myself that I could finish. The best thing is I get more opportunity here in this team to bat," he said.

Facing his former franchise Hyderabad, Rashid showed how devastating his batting could be, slamming an unbeaten 31 off just 11 balls as Gujarat Titans completed an improbable chase of 195 to halt Hyderabad's winning run.

Rashid walked in with the Titans 140/5 in 16 overs, all five wickets falling to Umran Malik's pace. There were 56 runs needed from the last four overs, but in Rashid and Rahul Tewatia, Gujarat had two men familiar with conjuring victories out of nothing.

Rashid finished it off with three sixes in four balls, the last two coming off the final two balls when nine were needed for victory.

"The snake shot" is what he calls it, because of the way the wrists uncoil and strike.

Related Topics:#Rashidkhan Cricket featured IPL Sports

Up Next

Karim Janat: ‘I want to be a mix of Rohit Sharma and Shoaib Akhtar’

Don't Miss

Rashid Khan smashes 3 sixes in four balls to clinch dramatic win for Gujarat

Sport

Ariana News to broadcast IPL auction live and exclusively in Afghanistan

Published

11 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Ariana News

The highly anticipated TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) Player Auction will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday November 24 and Monday November 25 - an event that will be broadcast to Afghanistan’s cricket fans live and exclusively by Ariana Television and Radio Network (ATN).

The two-day event will be broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana News.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this year. It will be the second time that the IPL mega auction is held outside India after last year's event in Dubai.

This year's mega auction will have 1,574 players registered, of which 574 names will go under the hammer.

Of those 574, a total of 366 players will be Indian and 208 will be foreign cricketers.

A number of big names will be in fray, with as many as 81 players choosing to register themselves under the highest base price bracket of Rs 2 crore ($237,000).

Afghan players

Eighteen Afghan players have been shortlisted for the IPL mega auction.

Two hundred and four (204) slots will be up for grabs with 70 available slots for overseas players.

Full list of Afghan players shortlisted for the auction:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Noor Ahmad
Waqar Salamkheil
Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar
Mujeeb-ur-Rahman
Azmatullah Omarzai
Naveen-ul-haq
Zahir Khan Pakten
Sediqullah Atal
Mohammad Nabi
Gulbadin Naib
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Najibullah Zadran
Ibrahim Zadran
Qais Ahmad
Karim Janat
Faridoon Dawoodzai
Nangyal Kharote

For cricket fans across the country, the IPL mega auction broadcast will be on Sunday and Monday from 1.30pm Kabul time on Ariana News. For more information and updated stories be sure to watch this space and follow us on social media.

Sport

Pakistan trumps Afghanistan by only 13 runs in U19 Tri-Series One Day match

Chasing 245 to win, Afghanistan lost their opening batter Mahboob Khan in the first over but recovered as Uzairullah Niazai and Faisal Shinozada secured a 104-run partnership for the second wicket

Published

1 day ago

November 20, 2024

Ariana News

Afghanistan’s U-19 cricket team went down to Pakistan by only 13 runs on Wednesday in their third tri-nation series One Day match at the ICC Academy in Dubai.

This was Pakistan’s first win over Afghanistan in the ongoing tournament after the Afghans defeated their opponents by 100 runs at the same venue on Friday.

Chasing 245 to win, Afghanistan lost their opening batter Mahboob Khan in the first over but recovered as Uzairullah Niazai and Faisal Shinozada secured a 104-run partnership for the second wicket.

After Faisal’s departure, Uzairullah soon followed with Afghanistan at 142 for three in 26.5 overs.

Afghanistan were bundled out for 231 in 46.4 overs.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, Pakistan’s opening pair Shahzaib Khan and Usman Khan provided a solid 129-run stand to Pakistan.

Left-handed Usman, who scored a century against Afghanistan in the previous match, scored an 88-ball 77, which included eight fours.

Shahzaib meanwhile top-scored for the side with 78 off 101 balls, hitting seven boundaries.

For Afghanistan, Abdul Aziz Khan and Khatir Khan Stanikzai bagged three wickets apiece, while Naseer Khan Maroofkhil snapped two wickets.

Pakistan will take on the hosts UAE U19 in their last group match on Friday, 22 November.

In a post on X, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said late Wednesday: “Not the result we would have wanted but Afghanistan Future Stars will look to bounce back in the next match.”

Afghanistan will take on UAE U19 on Sunday, November 24.

Sport

Afghanistan beat UAE by 169 runs in U19 tri-series

Published

4 days ago

November 18, 2024

Ariana News

Afghanistan under-19 cricket team defeated the United Arab Emirates under-19 team by 169 runs in their second match of the tri-nation series in Dubai on Monday.

Batting first after winning the toss, Afghans posted 359-5 as they played all the mandated 50 overs in the ICC Academy in Dubai.

Faisal Khan scored 156 runs while captain Mehboob Khan made 141.

In reply, UAE made 190 before they were all out in the 45.4 overs.

It is Afghanistan U19's second consecutive win in the two matches they have played so far in the tri-series.

Afghanistan U19 defeated Pakistan by 100 runs in their first match.

Afghanistan U19 will meet Pakistan U19 again on Wednesday.