Sign in

'Didn't want to lose Rashid Khan': Muralitharan says SRH 'couldn't afford' Afghan spinner

Rashid Khan started his Indian Premier League (IPL) journey with SRH, making his debut in 2017 and in no time he grabbed many eyeballs owing to his mastery with the ball.

Published on: Apr 12, 2022, 12:23:05 IST
By
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

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.

Former SRH spinner Rashid Khan (BCCI/IPL)
Former SRH spinner Rashid Khan (BCCI/IPL)

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.

WATCH: Hardik Pandya loses cool on Mohammed Shami, fans slam Gujarat Titans captain for outburst at senior player

"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.

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.

  • HT Sports Desk
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    HT Sports Desk

    At HT Sports Desk, passionate reporters work round the clock to provide detailed updates from the world of sports. Expect nuanced match reports, previews,reviews, technical analysis based on statistics, the latest social media trends, expert opinions on cricket, football, tennis, badminton, hockey,motorsports, wrestling, boxing, shooting, athletics and much more.Read More

Get the Cricket Live Score! including IPL Matches and track ICC rankings shifts, Cricket Schedule, and Players Stats along with detailed score profiles of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill.