Premier Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan explains how he likes reading the mind of the batters to adjust his length which helped him become one of the finest spinners of all-time.
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Rashid Khan would have never thought of playing cricket, seven years ago, coming from the war-torn nation of Afghanistan let alone the thoughts of becoming a premier spinner.
But he made his opportunities count. The leg-spinner was recognized for his talent while playing for the then, associate nation, Afghanistan. He grew up to become the flag-bearer of his national team, and continues to represent franchises across T20 leagues in the world including the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Big Bash League (BBL).
So what makes him one of the best spinners of all-time one would ask?
“The conditions change as countries change and I have to alter my lengths,” Khan said at the launch of his men’s fashion brand ‘RK 19’.
“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
“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.”
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Khan has been one of the most trustrable figures with the ball. He is a captain’s delight due to his knack of bowling economical spells in the shortest format of the game where batters are known to go all-out in their approach.
He, further, knows how to make the most of a pressure situation when the scoreboard is not in favour of the opposition.
“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, meanwhile, is one of those bowlers who doesn’t take aid of the data available for the various oppositions before the match and rather reles on his skills to outdo the 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.”
“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.”
Khan, the vice-captain of Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022, continues to weave his magic in the lucrative tournament. He picked up a three-wicket haul against Punjab Kings (PBKS), which included the important scalp of the in-form Liam Livingstone, to continue weaving his magic.
