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IPL 2022: Rashid Khan of Gujarat Titans perfecting the ‘snake shot’ to match MS Dhoni

Rashid Khan said that while his primary role will continue to remain as that of a bowler, he has been upgrading his batting skill for the last 2-3 years, especially as a finisher much like Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

IPL 2022: Rashid Khan of Gujarat Titans perfecting the ‘snake shot’ to match MS Dhoni Gujarat Titans vice-captain Rashid Khan. (Photo: BCCI/IPL)

Gujarat Titans vice-captain Rashid Khan has found a fresh wind but as a batter in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season. The Afghanistan leg-spinner might be struggling as a bowler but is fast becoming one of the most dangerous finishers in the T20 league.

The 23-year-old played match-winning knocks for the Titans against Chennai Super Kings (40 off 21) and in the last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (31 not out off 11) under tremendous pressure. However, the premier leg-spinner has picked only eight wickets in eight matches with an economy of 7.09 in the ongoing IPL season for the Hardik Pandya-led side.

Rashid said that while his primary role will continue to remain as that of a bowler, he has been upgrading his batting skill for the last 2-3 years, especially as a finisher much like Mahendra Singh Dhoni, to lend solidity to his franchise down the order.

“From the last two-three years I’ve been working on my batting. I have that self-belief that I should be there and finishing for the team,” Rashid said, after his blitz with the bat against SRH at the Wankhede on April 27, which Titans won by five wickets in a thriller.

“I have those skills and talent but it was just about the confidence in myself, that I could finish. The best thing is, I get more opportunity here in this team to bat,” he added.

Facing his former franchise, Rashid showed how devastating his batting could be, slamming an unbeaten 31 off just 11 balls as Gujarat completed an improbable chase of 195 to halt SRH’s winning streak. There was a hint of MS Dhoni’s helicopter, and a bit of a hockey player’s drag-flick, but the end product was all Rashid. The ‘snake shot’ is what he calls it, because of the way the wrists uncoil and strike.

On his mediocre bowling -- his four overs leaked 45 runs, Rashid’s third-worst figures in the history of the IPL, the spinner said, “I think I didn`t bowl as well as I should have. I bowled four-five bad deliveries and was punished and that is something I had in my mind. On a wicket like this, you can’t miss your line and length, and that is something I have done.”

(with IANS inputs)