Rashid Khan has emerged to be one of the most promising talent with the ball and when Gujarat Titans won his bid for ₹15 crore it actually didn't come as a surprise. However, what came as a surprise for many and not just for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) fans was the franchise not retaining the “Afghan Wizard” ahead of the mega-auction when they had the option to.
Rashid started his Indian Premier League (IPL) journey with SRH, making his debut in 2017 and in no time he went to grab many eyeballs owing to his mastery with the ball. He also produced several match-winning efforts in SRH’s journey to the finals the 2018 edition, which they lost against Chennai Super Kings. In that season the spinner scalped 21 wickets and had emerged as the second-highest wicket taker from the campaign.
While the question regarding Rashid's retention still puzzled many, SRH bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan gave fans some clarity on why the move couldn't take place.
"We didn't want to get rid of Rashid Khan, but we couldn't afford him," said Muralitharan in a mid-innings chat with the commentators on Star Sports during Gujarat Titans' innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Monday evening.
{{/usCountry}}"We didn't want to get rid of Rashid Khan, but we couldn't afford him," said Muralitharan in a mid-innings chat with the commentators on Star Sports during Gujarat Titans' innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Monday evening.
{{/usCountry}}Rashid during his five-year stint with SRH went to play 76 matches in which he scalped 93 wickets, making him the second-highest wicket-taker from the franchise.
He is creating a similar impact with Gujarat and is currently their leading wicket-taker, with six scalps from four matches.