Opinion: Celebrating the Afghan wonder kid, Rashid Khan

The name Rashid Khan needs no introduction currently in the cricket world. This 20-year-old boy has already made a name for himself as one of the finest wicket taking bowlers, especially in the limited overs format.

Born in a war-driven country like Afghanistan, Rashid has come a long way to rise above the ranks. He has been the face of Afghanistan cricket and their star player now. Idolising the Pakistani all-rounder, Shahid Afridi he started his bowling career.

He brought in some nuances from Afridi's bowling like bowling stump-to-stump at a quick pace and using more of his fingers than wrist which is quite unusual for a wrist spinner. He makes it hard for the batsmen to judge the delivery whether it is a googly or a leg spinner.

Rashid made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2015 and later on his T20 International debut against the same team. He kept on impressing everyone with his bowling performances which also helped him gain an IPL contract in 2016.

Rashid was the second Afghan player after Mohammad Nabi to fetch an IPL contract. He was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 4 crore - the highest bid for any Associate nation player ever. He justified his selection with his performance and eventually Sunrisers clinched their maiden IPL trophy in 2016.

Apart, from being a brilliant bowler, Rashid is also a very agile fielder who is capable of putting in some dives and a decent batsman down the order capable of clearing the boundaries. He has shown signs of his all-round abilities in IPL 2018, especially, in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders where he contributed with the ball, bat and also in the field.

As Rashid Khan celebrates his 20th birthday, we wish him all the best for his future endeavours. He has achieved so much in a short span of his career and has been a delight to watch every time. Happy Birthday, Champion.