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Cricket Players'5-6 years ago, I never even thought of playing in IPL': GT star as he stands on verge of joining 100-wicket elite club
IPL 2022: Gujarat Titans currently sit in fifth place with three wins in four games. They next face table-toppers Rajasthan Royals on Thursday at the DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai.
It was in 2017 when an 18-year-old Rashid Khan made his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and ended the season with 17 wickets. Five years hence, the Afghanistan leg-spinner, who took up the sport in a nation not particularly known for its intimacy with cricket, is perched on 99 IPL wickets. One more scalp would make him the second-fastest player after Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga to achieve the milestone.
Born in Nangarhar, located in the eastern part of Afghanistan, Rashid has had his fair share of troubles growing up before his meteoric rise in world cricket. His fairytale started in 2015 with his ODI debut against Zimbabwe. A year and a half later, he was on the radar of several IPL teams but it was Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) who snapped him up for ₹4 crore. He was also among the two first-ever Afghan players to be picked for the lucrative T20 league.
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It's not just Rashid but many rising stars and lesser-known players are a part of the IPL frame, which has been a perfect platform for budding cricketers. Rashid, who has now shifted base to Gujarat Titans after an extremely successful spell with Hyderabad, spoke about his journey and entering the elusive 100-wicket club in the IPL.
"5-6 years ago, I never even thought of playing in IPL. Reaching 100 IPL wickets is a massive achievement as a foreign spinner. I have seen some guys coming here and playing all games since I debuted in the IPL. It's been an amazing journey," Rashid told Hindustan Times Digital in a virtual interaction.
With his ripping googlies and leg-breaks that touch the 100 kph mark, Rashid is a great exponent of the art of spin bowling, perhaps with a touch of mystery. He is also a part of the Titans leadership bunch after his appointment as the vice-captain of the IPL newbies. He was the team's draft pick ahead of the February mega-auction.
"For someone who was not even thinking of getting into the IPL, taking 100 wickets as vice-captain of Gujarat Titans... it's been an amazing journey. I feel lucky and blessed at this stage of my career. I will try my best to keep delivering the same performances and maintaining the same energy going forward," Rashid further added.
Rashid, who picked up 93 wickets in 76 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad, faced his former team on Monday when the Titans locked horns with the 2016 IPL winners. The willy leg-spinner returned with figures of 1/28 in his four but Gujarat suffered their first loss in the ongoing 10-team tournament.
GT captain Hardik Pandya's unbeaten 50 went in vain after he steered his side to 162 for seven. Kane Williamson notched up a calculated 57 to help Hyderabad register their second win of the season.
As the Hardik-led unit looks to get back to winning ways, it needs to resolve the bowling in middle overs. The Gujarat outfit has registered the fewest wickets in 7-15 overs with Rashid being the lone enforcer.
Currently on the fifth spot with three wins in four games, the Titans face table-toppers Rajasthan Royals on Thursday at the DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai.
