Rashid Khan has established himself as one of the most dangerous bowlers in white-ball cricket and has faced several of the best batters in the world during his career. From international cricket to franchise leagues, the Afghanistan spinner has regularly been involved in challenging battles against elite batters.
However, there is one particular batter who has consistently tested Rashid and left him with little margin for error. Speaking on Aakash Chopra’s podcast Baith & Bol, the Gujarat Titans star explained what makes this opponent so difficult to bowl to and why he enjoys the challenge.
Rashid Khan reveals the batter who gives him no room for error
Rashid revealed that Virat Kohli is the toughest batter he has bowled to in his career. The Afghanistan spinner highlighted Kohli’s ability to punish even the smallest mistake and praised the former India captain’s aggressive approach against bowlers. The spinner added that he enjoys the competitiveness of facing Kohli because it forces him to execute every delivery accurately. He also pointed to Kohli’s ability to find gaps, meaning even a slight error can result in a boundary.
“The one batter who has been challenging for me over the years is Virat Kohli. It is okay if I bowl my best line and length to him. But if I miss even a little here and there, he will punish me. Other batters try to get to the non-striker’s end. But he tries to hit you for a boundary,” Rashid said.
Their numbers across formats make the contest particularly interesting. In ODIs, Kohli has scored 36 runs from 28 deliveries against Rashid without being dismissed. In T20Is, he has made 22 runs from 16 balls and has been dismissed once by the leg-spinner. The pair have faced each other more frequently in the IPL. Kohli has scored 144 runs from 113 deliveries against Rashid and has been dismissed three times. Their first meeting came in 2018, with Rashid claiming Kohli’s wicket in their second game against each other.
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Rashid Khan opens up on Shubman Gill’s leadership at Gujarat Titans
Rashid also discussed Shubman Gill’s captaincy at Gujarat Titans, where he serves as vice-captain. The Afghanistan star praised Gill for remaining calm and giving players the freedom to express themselves on the field. The spinner explained that Gill helps players by discussing how opposition batters might look to play and what bowling options could work against them. Rashid believes this approach allows individuals to focus on their own game rather than becoming distracted by the result.
“As a captain, Shubman is calm and gives you that freedom. He supports you and backs you to do well. Sometimes, if a captain demands certain things from you, it becomes difficult. But this never happened. Hardik was also like that. They know you have played enough cricket. They would just tell me how some batters would look to play and what I could bowl to them. Gill, as a captain, really helps every individual to focus on their game. We do not think about the results,” Rashid said.
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