Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan will be seen playing for his second franchise in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Gujarat Titans, in the IPL 2022 which starts on March 26.
His dream was to play under MS Dhoni, but now Rashid Khan will ply his trade for the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans in the upcoming IPL 2022 after the newly minted franchise drafted him for a whopping INR 15 crores ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction.
Rashid Khan made his IPL debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2017 and has since picked up 93 wickets in 76 matches at an economy rate of 6.33.
Ahead of the IPL 15, the Afghan leg-spinner has insisted that he is never bothered about conditions, never puts pressure on himself through performance, but he just focuses on his own preparations and skill-set while competing.
He is looking forward to playing under his friend, Hardik Pandya for Gujarat Titans.
Rashid Khan said in a virtual interaction with media: “Actually, I have played a lot in Dubai. As spinners, Mumbai will offer you turn and bounce and you need that. I never think about conditions a lot, but the important thing is your preparation and I always focus on that.”
The leg-spinner added, “My mindset is never that everything depends on me and I have to win matches for my team. When you start thinking about all these, your game gets affected. I like to keep it simple and I just want to give my 100% effort in every match. The results are not in my control but I can always control the effort and process. I have never taken extra pressure.”
On being asked about his favorite IPL team, Rashid said: “I am currently playing for Gujarat Titans so this is my dream team. I will strive to do my best, it is a huge honor for me to play with Gujarat Titans, and playing under Hardik Pandya, will be a different experience. Every player has their dream of playing under MS Dhoni, but right now I am playing for Gujarat Titans, so it is a huge honor for me.”
On playing for the Gujarat team after SRH, the Afghan star said: “Cricket is same, just the team has changed. I don't think about it much. I just try to adjust. I have played with Vijay Shankar, Saha in this team. I will play with the same mindset and confidence. I focus on my skills.”
He concluded, “We (He and Captain Hardik Pandya) are good friends. I am looking forward to playing with him. It will be interesting. I will start practicing with him to read his mind. I am so excited.”
(With AFP Inputs)
