Afghan Abdul Rashid Khan is the new leg spinning sensation

New Delhi: Indian Premier League (IPL) has given platform to many during its a decade-long history, and this time it was the turn of a player from Afghanistan, minnows in the International cricketing arena.

The 18-year-old kid, named Abdul Rashid Khan, has emerged as the modern face of leg spin with qualities of leg breaks with googlies. Rashid generally bowls quick from stump to stump which leaves batsmen in trouble and keep his economy rate stable.

The cricketer, who is representing Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing season of the razzamatazz tournament, surprised everyone with his terrific bowling skills against Gujarat Lions. Justifying his whopping cost (Rs 4 crore) at the IPL auction, he ripped apart GL top order and ended his four-over spell at 3/19, for which he was adjudged man of the match.

He bagged the wickets of experienced GL batsmen like Brendon McCullum, captain Suresh Raina and Aaron Finch, which helped SRH restrict the opponents at a moderate total of 135 runs. Hyderabad, under the leadership of David Warner, comprehensively won the match by 9 wickets.

His awe-inspiring performance in the two games of IPL (2/36 and 3/19) made Warner heap praises on the youngster. “He was fantastic. He has the talent and seems to be a fantastic prospect for Afghanistan Cricket. Rashid is a superstar in the making, he adds great dynamic and balance to our team,” Warner had said.

Rashid, who grew up watching former Pakistan Cricket team player Shahid Afridi, is a big fan of him.

The Afghanistan player has the ability to do wonders in pressure situations. He has remained a major charm in any Afghanistan match whenever he takes the ball. Earlier, after buying him for a handsome sum of money at the IPL auction, SRH coach Tom Moddy had also lauded the youngster.

The Afghan leg spinning Messiah's economy rate is also a reason behind him being tagged as the newest spinning sensation. It was his consistent performances in the International Cricket that staked his claims in the cash-rich league.

The ambitious Rashid had once said that he wants to be remembered as Afghanistan's best spinner. We will have to wait if his words turn true or not.

Other Highlights:

In 26 ODI games, he bagged 53 wickets with an economy rate of 4.12 while in T20s he has an economy rate of 6.08 with 40 wickets in 24 games.

In his two IPL games, he has claimed five wickets so far with an impressive spell of 3/19 in his second game against Gujarat Lions.