Ahead of T20 tie in Mohali, all eyes on spin wizard Rashid Khan

Though he is part of the Afghanistan team, it remains to be seen if he will be playing in the three-match T20I series against India after his recent back surgery

As the Afghanistan cricket team entered the newly renovated IS Bindra Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali on Monday, all eyes were on spin magician Rashid Khan.

Members of the Afghanistan team during a practice session at the IS Bindra PCA stadium in Mohali on Monday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

Back to the cricket field after almost a gap of two months, the leg-break bowler is not new to the Mohali stadium. He has been coming to the stadium during IPL games while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans. But it is for the first time that he has travelled to Mohali with the Afghanistan team.

The spinner had been absent from the recent T20I series in the UAE and the Big Bash League owing to his back surgery. He has also conveyed his unavailability for the first South Africa 20 season.

Though he is part of the Afghanistan team, it remains to be seen if he will be playing in the three-match T20I series against India. It is unlikely that he will participate as indicated by a statement from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

On Monday, he did hit the nets and did some batting, but did not bowl. If Rashid doesn’t play in any of the games in the series, he could probably be playing the role of a mentor to the team that did well in the ODI World Cup in India.

The 25-year-old leg-spinner has been a global star, bowling well in various T20 leagues across the world.

On Monday, Rashid Khan did hit the nets and did some batting, but did not bowl. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

Mumbai Indians Cape Town captain Rashid was seen having a look at the Mohali stadium pitch along with off-spinner Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman. His absence in the Ibrahim Zadran led-Afghanistan playing XI in all three T20s will hurt the visitors against the Indian side that will witness a comeback from veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

The Afghanistan team was stunned when they beat England and Pakistan in the ODI World Cup. Their spinners have been doing well on Indian pitches in recent years.

PCA is hosting the Afghanistan team after a gap of eight years. It hosted the country back in the 2016 T20 World Cup when Pakistan cricketer Inzamam-Ul-Haq was the head coach of the team.

Earlier in the day, local-lad Shubman Gill also had a two-hour net session with his father, Lakhwinder Singh, with net bowlers bowling at him.