Afghanistan’s best leg spin bowler Rashid Khan is one of the most scary bowlers one can come across in limited overs cricket. If it is about balls fuller in length or trying to outsmart the best of the batsmen, Rashid is already a big name in ODIs and T20s. How does he make it look so easy and be so effective? There are a lot of reasons that go into his arsenal quite a few of which are his one-legged bowling which is different from the regular style or his psychological aspect.
1. The Art of Leg-Spin
Leg spin bowling is a specialty in cricket that is considered very difficult to learn as it involves acute wrist, fingers and flight and/or trajectory control. Khan has been able to perfect his art but what is mysterious about him is how fast he can deliver the ball and yet possess a lot of spin in it. Most of the leg spin bowlers tend to stay within the speed range of 80-85 km/h, but Rashid has been exceeding this mark by regularly sleeping in at over 90 kmh.
This elevates the problem for the batsmen as they will have to be even quicker to pick up his spins and react because they have limited time to see how the ball is spinning once it touches the ground. Furthermore, when Rashid speeds up the pace of bowling, the chances of making a mistake while going for big shots decrease to a much narrower bracket for the batsmen compelling them to have the defensive side or strain too much due to the tense moment.
2. Deceptive Variations
Rashid Khan possesses an extensive repertoire of various deliveries all of which are difficult to tell apart owing to his subtle change in the style of bowling on their execution. The stock delivery he bowls is a leg-break which however has a forehead battle too for he has a very good reverse wristed googly (the turn the ball takes is towards the opposite way to that which the batsman expects) and a flat arm top-spinner (does not turn but rather skids through straight on). These adjustments, often paired with the upper arm speed, distracts the batsmen and blankets their strategic foresight resulting in wrong judgment and subsequent limb-outs.
Of these deliveries, the googly is the deadliest since Rashid is exceptionally good at concealing it. For example, even experts find the reverse spinning ball hard to sight as it tends to be very close to their motion, getting many stumped or lbw dismissals. Also skies some batsmen on their top spin as they lean expecting some degree of the ball turning while it is in fact coming abrasive and straight fast catching them on pace rather than turns.
3. Control and Accuracy
Asia has tended to be suited to spin bowlers because of the conditions. Furthermore, bringing them back after 2-3 overs into the game, within a pinch, even across the most over-burdening formats, becomes a nightmare challenge owing to the respect for efficiency. That is the importance of bowlers, who, it seems, hardly ever bowl bad balls. Irrespective of how aggressive this new format is, that every bowler requires is cannot be overemphasized.
Asia has been more conducive to the support of spinners. Similarly, it would literally take them repurposing their entire arsenal to unwind after 2-3 more overs into the game, within a pinch, even over the most overbearing formats, becomes a nightmare because of sheer respect efficiency. This is where reach comes in. These overzealous tendencies are rarely if ever batted throughout by bowlers as it is. That is not realistic as far as the division is concerned.
4. Mental Toughness and Adaptability
What differentiates Rashid Khan even more is a factor which many fans do not realize – his mental toughness and ability to adjust with the demands of the situation. He is still a boy but has displayed immense calm under the most trying situations as a cricketer. Rashid is comfortable in pressure situations be it while bowling to international stars or in pressure matches such as Indian Premier League (IPL) and Big Bash League(BBL).
He is also versatile in terms of the adaptation of various conditions and formats. On flat and spin-friendly subcontinent or bounce friendly and faster Australian or English conditions, Rashid varies his lengths and pace according to the environment. The modifications he is able to execute while in the midst of a game give him the profile of a complete bowler that can rule the scene of any white ball match.
5. Experience in Global Leagues
Not surprisingly, it’s earned him playing experience against international batsmen of a much higher caliber than he has faced so far, especially with T20 leagues going on around the world. The IPL success, where he was constantly one of the most impactful bowlers, consolidated him as a global superstar. He has done all these while playing for franchises like Sunrisers Hyderabad where he has given work to not only the ball but also his brain and leadership.
Apart from playing the BBL and CPL, participating in the PSL places him in different circumstances which help refine his ability. Every league has its advantages and its disadvantages in order to use them fully in response to different excellent challenges such as the use of a different type of pitch, different batting techniques. So, Rashid has been able to use these challenges wisely and that is why he has been able to enhance his bowling repertoire as well.
6. X-Factor in the Field
Rashid Khan’s influence is not restricted to only execution of bowling. He is quite instrumental as a fielder as well, which enhances his overall worth in ODIs. His fast hands and great athleticism help to save runs on the field and also affect vital run outs. His nature is very aggressive, so he knows that there is no hiding when the batters are trying to play defensively, the bowlers ought to get wickets in all situations.
7. Contributions with the Bat
Apart from being a bowler, Rashid Khan has proved on many occasions that he can contribute significantly as a lower order batsman in the limited overs format. He usually is very useful in the business end of T20 matches, where he scores runs very rapidly when required. Especially for the teams, who look to strengthen their batting order, he proves to be invaluable as he can score runs and hit big shots when the match pressure is on him.
Wrap Up
What makes Rashid Khan so dangerous in white ball cricket today is the combination of pace control, pace variation, bowling accuracy and mental strength. He has been a consistent performer at the highest level in every league or international fixture and that just shows what a committed and skilled person he is. Since he continues to embrace changes and development, there is every reason to believe that Rashid will remain important within international cricket and will continue to be a menace to batsmen in all white ball formats.