There is not a more recognisable face from Afghanistan than Rashid Khan. That he happens to be a cricketer, and a leg-spinner, who competes in the best T20 leagues around the world makes him proud.
“If I look seven years back, I never thought I would play cricket at this level, coming from Afghanistan,” he says at the launch of his men’s fashion brand ‘RK 19’. “It’s not been easy. I am blessed to be in this position to have my own brand. It’s my responsibility to make my country proud.”
Khan hopes his brand will get the same love as he does from all the cricket-loving people of the world. “I am blessed,” he says, when asked about garnering equal support from Indian and Pakistani fans by participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL).
In those two leagues as well as the Big Bash in Australia, Khan is the trump card for the teams he plays for. “I don’t change my skills in any of those leagues. The conditions change as countries change and I have to alter my lengths,” he says.
Given that he plays a game-changing role in T20 cricket, which makes him the richest spinner (he was acquired by Gujarat Titans for ₹15 crore) in the IPL, Khan says his mind is always ticking. “You read the mind of the batter and bowl accordingly. You look at which batter is trying to attack you and then you look for the best ball to get him in trouble. I don’t think that I just have to get him out. It’s all about getting the batter in an uncomfortable position. It’s all about building pressure. Once you do that, it builds an advantage for you to get wickets.”
{{/usCountry}}Given that he plays a game-changing role in T20 cricket, which makes him the richest spinner (he was acquired by Gujarat Titans for ₹15 crore) in the IPL, Khan says his mind is always ticking. “You read the mind of the batter and bowl accordingly. You look at which batter is trying to attack you and then you look for the best ball to get him in trouble. I don’t think that I just have to get him out. It’s all about getting the batter in an uncomfortable position. It’s all about building pressure. Once you do that, it builds an advantage for you to get wickets.”
{{/usCountry}}Khan is 19th in the list of leading IPL wicket-takers. But he remains the most economical bowler in IPL history. Is defence the best form of attack in T20 cricket?
“I may not have taken the most wickets, but I am very happy with my bowling. It becomes harder for you when the batter is not taking any risks against you. They are focused on ones and twos and not trying to hit out hard,” he says. “I just focus on being economical and trying to build pressure. That helps another bowler take wickets from the other end.”
Khan says his wicket-taking spells are when opposition batters are reacting to scoreboard pressure. “They can’t always play you out. If you have a good total on the board, they have to take chances that increase your chances to pick up wickets,” he says. “But if I have to choose between a good 3-4 run over, or go for 16 runs, pick couple of wickets and that does not help the team, I would go for the 3-run over. You do what’s best for the team.”
Khan also trusts his ticking brain more than data to outsmart batters. “Everyone uses data before the game. But I don’t think all those things that you discuss in team meetings remain the same during the match,” he said. “You have a bit of an idea but the scoring rate and surface cannot be predicted. It becomes a different game altogether. I never think whether the batter has done his planning or studied me. I just have the belief in my skills. If I am bowling right and bowling well, I can trouble the batters.”
The Gujarat Titans vice-captain is filled with pride that through his fastish leg-spin, he’s kept wrist-spinners at the top of different teams’ wish list. “There was a time we had lost all leg-spinners, especially in the shorter formats. But this game is not just about fast bowlers. If you have more variety in terms of skills in your bowling attack, it becomes super hard for the batters.”
Among the young spinners, Khan sees ‘a bright future’ for Ravi Bishnoi.