Afghanistan and Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler, Rashid Khan has named AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, Andre Russell and Chris Gayle the toughest opponents he has faced in his Indian T20 League career.
Rashid Khan, who was bought by Hyderabad for a whopping 4 crores for the 2017 edition of the Indian T20 League, made his tournament debut against Bangalore, and while recalling his first game in Hyderabad colours, he said,
"You know, it was my dream to play in the Indian T20 League," the leg spinner told Yuzvendra Chahal during an Instagram live session.
"We used to watch Indian T20 League on TV and every big name was there in the tournament. That coupled with the coaching staff and the fans excite us to be there even more."
"I remember my debut game against Bangalore and I was hit for a boundary on the very first delivery,
"That made me very nervous because Chris Gayle was standing at the non-striker's end and I thought if they take a single, he'll just tear me apart.
"Overall, It was really a tough debut for me."
"The first wicket, however, was a breakthrough as it gave me back my confidence and from the second game, I was just enjoying my bowling."
Toughest opponents
The Afghanistan leggie has been an absolute revelation in the Indian T20 League, and during his three-year stint, he has picked 55 wickets in 46 games at an economy of 6.55 and an average of 21.69. And thus, it was obvious for Chahal to ask him about the toughest opponent he has faced and whether he makes any special preparation before heading into the game.
"There's no special preparation, but still, bowling to the likes of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Andre Russell and Chris Gayle is very difficult, especially on the smaller grounds.
"There's always a lot going on in the mind a day before the game, especially when I play in Bangalore. I just hope the wicket is good and I get good assistance from the pitch for my spin."
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Noah Seelam
