India has a rich cricketing legacy, one of the best in the world. Many budding cricketers have made it a heaven on Indian soil. Many are of the opinion that unless one has a Godfather it would be difficult. Ironically many who have had so-called Godfathers helping them, have perished much before making any impact. But, there is someone from a relatively lesser-known land have become India’s poster boy at the moment, and it is the Afghanistan’s star Rashid Khan one among them, and he makes it a century of matches (ODI) in this version of the format when he took to the field against Sri Lanka in Pune on Monday.
And this edition of the ICC World Cup is very special for Rashid Khan who comes from a war-torn nation where survival in itself becomes a challenge. And as he completes his hundred matches in this format, it is very special to him in more than one way.
“It is special and I will cherish every moment in this World Cup,” said before their match against Sri Lanka in Pune on October 29.
He was ranked No 1 No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the ICC Rankings for the Best bowler in T20s and ODIs respectively in the year 2018. A crowd favourite in the truest sense of the world.
Arguably the best leg-spinner in white ball cricket, Rashid was drafted in the Gujarat Titans squad for INR 15 crore ahead of the IPL 2022 Mega Auction. His story is nothing short of a tale of hard work and passion bringing deserved glory. He rose through the ranks by his impressive advancements first in tennis ball cricket and then at the higher levels. Ever since his debut IPL (for Sunrisers Hyderabad) season in 2017, Rashid has garnered all the right eyeballs owing to his mastery with the ball. The leg-spinner turned in a few memorable match-winning efforts in SRH’s journey to the finals the 2018 edition. He took 21 wickets and emerged as the second-highest wicket taker in that edition. Over the years he has been one of the most sought after players in franchise T20 leagues and with a wealth of experience, he is definitely a threat to the opposition.
He has been overwhelmed by the support his team gets in India. “It has been great to see the support we get wherever the team has played, but he has special note of Delhi and Chennai. “They were all over us, the spectators, especially in Delhi and Chennai,” said Rashid on Monday in Pune.
In a remarkable turn of events, Afghanistan achieved their first-ever World Cup victory with a stunning 69-run triumph against defending champions England at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium on October 15.
Afghanistan occupy the 7th position in the table before their match against Sri Lanka with two wins while Sri Lanka also have four points but their better run rate has placed them in the 5th position.
A kid from the Nangarhar province in war-torn Afghanistan aspired to play professional cricket. is also known as Afghanistan's Afridi.
