IPL 2022: Not Much Of A Wicket-taker – SRH Batting Coach Brian Lara On Rashid Khan

Seemingly the best T20 bowler going around, Rashid Khan has been only an adversary for players in this format of the game. The Afghanistan leg-spinner can limit the scoring rate at any moment of the game and his capacity to take customary wickets makes him much more deadly.

On Saturday, the Gujarat Titans star turned into the joint-third-quickest player to finish 100 wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL), accomplishing the accomplishment in 83 games.

He currently shares the record with Amit Mishra and Ashish Nehra. With Rashid being a particularly considerable weapon in T20 cricket, many were stunned when Sunrisers Hyderabad didn’t hold him in front of the IPL 2022 mega auction.

The leg-spinner served the franchise between 2017 and 2021 and was instrumental in SRH’s prosperity during this period.

Washington Sundar And Jagadeesha Suchith Are filling Rashid Khan’s Boots: Brian Lara

Hence, Rashid was picked by Gujarat Titans in the draft for a beating amount of INR 15 crore. In the interim, SRH’s current batting mentor Brian Lara figures his group is as yet doing pretty well without the leg-spinner as Rashid was not ‘much of a wicket-taker.’

He additionally feels players like Washington Sundar and Jagadeesha Suchith are filling his boots all around well.

“I have a great respect for Rashid Khan but I believe we have the right combination. Rashid Khan was someone who opposition teams decided to defend against, he was not much of a wicket-taker,” Lara said to Star Sports after SRH’s win over Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday.

“Yes (economy of) 5.5-6 runs per over is great but I think when you have a guy like Washington Sundar spinning the ball into the left-handers in the first six overs, He is an asset. Suchith has come in as his replacement due to injury and he is an asset as well,” he added.

We Might Have Won All 7 If Rashid Khan Was Member Of This Team: Brian Lara

In the meantime, SRH has been splendid this season, winning five of their initial seven games, and are looking good to go to fit the bill for the end of the season games.

They have handled a speed-heavy bowling attack up to this point yet Lara figures leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal can come into the image at the fag end of the competition. He likewise conceded that SRH could have dominated all their seven matches so far had Rashid been in the side.

” We have Shreyas Gopal, though he hasn’t had a game so far. He is also someone who has a hat-trick in the IPL. I still think we have a lot in the reserves to show the IPL and I am not too worried. All respect to Rashid Khan, if he was a member of this team, I think we might have been 7 out of 7, I don’t know,” Lara added.

SRH have won 5 games on the trot after losing the initial two games. They are currently sitting on the second spot on the points table with 10 points. They will face table-toppers GT in their next game on 27 April at Wankhede Stadium.

Also Read: IPL 2022: Brian Lara Compares SRH Pacer To Former West Indies Teammate