Rashid Khan Extends Tenure With Sussex in NatWest T20 Blast

The No. 1 leg-spinner in limited-overs format, Rashid Khan has continued to seal yet another deal with the Sussex County team. He will now be available for all 14 group games for the county in the NatWest T20 Blast 2018 Competition.

The Afghanistan spinner Rashid is an asset to any team and his extension will surely bolster Sussex as the tournament progresses. It was announced by the Sussex Cricket (SC) on Wednesday (August).

Afghanistan’s 19-year-old spinner Rashid has been quite a sensation in the white-ball format. He has bamboozled star batters on a consistent basis. His pace and variations have been quite difficult to pick.

Interestingly, Rashid had earlier signed with Sussex for only the group matches of the ongoing tournament. However, Rashid has decided to withdraw his name from the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Hence, he will be available for Sussex for the remainder of the eight group matches. He will also be a part of the playing XI against Gloucestershire.

Head coach of Sussex, Jason Gillespie expressed his delight over the decision of Rashid Khan to extend his tenure in Sussex.

“I’m very big on continuity when it comes to tournaments and, as a general rule, I prefer not to have players dropping in for a few games. Having said that, Rashid is the number one T20 bowler in the world and so having him in the team for any number of games would have added value – as we have already seen – but to now have him available for the whole of the group stage is absolutely wonderful,” he Gillespie said.

“I had always wanted to play more than the first seven games so when I heard I was now going to be free, I asked the club straightaway if they would like me to stay for the full 14 matches. Thankfully, they also wanted me to stay. I’m really enjoying my time at Sussex so far and I’m looking forward to the rest of the matches here. Let’s hope we can win many of them!” Rashid added.

Sussex are currently at the fourth position on the South Group table. Only a solitary point separates them from table toppers Kent. They have played seven matches. Gloucestershire is currently in the second position. They have nine points from six games. The third in the table is Somerset with 8 points.