IPL 2020 | Playing against big names like Kohli and others is a big challenge, insists Rashid Khan

In spite of being relatively new on the international setup, Rashid Khan has established himself as one of the best limited-overs bowlers, which was evident when he was picked up before IPL 2017 for a whopping ₹9 crores by Sunrisers Hyderabad. With 55 wickets in three seasons in the IPL, Rashid justified the decision of SRH spending big bucks on him. He has been one of the crucial pieces of the puzzle that has made SRH successful in the recent past. 

Afghanistan limited-overs captain Rashid insisted that IPL is a different beast compared with other leagues around the world as it is a challenge to play against the likes of Virat Kohli. He reckoned that even though Kohli is a world-class batsman, it is not excusable to bowl a bad bowl to him. 

“IPL is a different league (compared to CPL), different pressure. Playing against big names like Kohli and others is a big challenge. No doubt he (Kohli) is one of the best players in the world and you have to have the best ball for him, there is no excuse to bowl a bad delivery. He’ll be back in the field after a long break, let’s see what his reaction is, how he performs,” Rashid said as quoted by Hindustan Times. 

Enjoying bowling at an economy of 6.55 at an average of 21.69 in the cash-rich league, Rashid has rarely been on the expensive side of things. He stated that he deliberately tries to be economical so that bowlers from the other end can get wickets and help the team. 

“My focus is always bowling economically well for the team. When I bowl economically it helps the bowlers on the other end to take wickets,” he said.

“I concentrate on bowling dot balls and putting pressure on the batsman so he can take risks. My focus is the team’s requirement, what helps the team is important to me. I have 4-5 grips. I bowl them according to the wicket based on the reaction of the wicket. Those five grips help me to bowl differently as each one pitches differently.”