Rashid Khan

Though classed as a leg-spinner, Rashid actually delivers more googlies than standard legbreaks, and he mixes in deliveries that turn either way or go straight on. He grew up admiring Shahid Afridi and, like his hero, aims at the stumps and bowls quickly through the air, relying more on finger action than wrist. That speed leaves batters little chance to advance down the pitch. Because his arm speed hardly changes from one ball to the next, many opponents find his variations hard to read. He also contributes as a quick, diving fielder and as a hitter capable of clearing the boundary late in an innings.

Franchise teams worldwide have competed for his services since he broke through. In February 2017, Sunrisers Hyderabad signed him for INR 4 crore, the biggest IPL bid ever made for a player from an Associate nation. He quickly became central to their plans, trusted to bowl at any phase of a match. During the 2018 season he showed off his batting and fielding, notably holding a one-handed catch near the boundary at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru to remove Colin de Grandhomme. Over five years with Sunrisers he collected 93 wickets at an economy rate of 6.33. Gujarat Titans acquired him in 2022, and he played a key part as they won the title that year.

At international level, Rashid became the fastest bowler to reach 100 wickets in ODIs and also the fastest to 100 in T20Is. His Test appearances have been few, yet he has already been instrumental in Afghanistan's wins over Ireland, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.