All-rounder Rashid Khan on Tuesday was appointed as the T20I captain of Team Afghanistan.

“Meanwhile Najibullah Zadran has been appointed the national team’s vice-captain for the format,” stated an official Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) release.

Rashid, one of the well-known global faces of the game, was selected by senior ACB leadership led by ACB Chairman Farhan Yousefzai, for the role considering his experience, brilliant performance as well as leadership skills with the national team over the years.

All-rounder @rashidkhan_19 has been appointed the T20I captain & @iamnajibzadran as V-captain. Rashid, one of the well-known global faces of the game, was selected by senior ACB leadership led by ACB Chairman @Farhan_YusEfzai

More: https://t.co/cmIU8G4C02 pic.twitter.com/s1WsoKva6m

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) July 6, 2021

Rashid Khan is currently the number two ranked bowler in the ICC T20I Rankings. He is 31 points behind table-topper South Africa spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.

Afghanistan is placed in Group B for the T20 World Cup 2021 alongside England, India, and South Africa while the remaining two teams will be chosen from the Qualifiers.

The 2021 edition of the tournament is scheduled to be played this October in UAE and Oman.

Earlier this year, ACB members had approved the proposition to go ahead with split-captaincy for the national team. The board also effectively removed Asghar Afghan as skipper of the men’s national team.

“As per the decision, left-hander Hashmatullah Shahidi is appointed the new ODI and Test captain of the national team while Rahmat Shah will serve as the vice-captain for both formats,” the ACB had said in an official release.

Afghanistan and Sunrisers Hyderabad leg-spinner Rashid Khan is one of the biggest fans of former India skipper MS Dhoni. A more than useful batsman in the shortest format of the game, Rashid regularly prefers to play Dhoni’s signature ‘helicopter shot’ in T20s to great effect. Rashid is one of the many cricketers who have tried to emulate the ‘helicopter shot’ right from India all-rounder Hardik Pandya to former England batsman Kevin Pietersen.

Now, Rashid Khan has also attempted to play the ‘helicopter shot’ while playing golf in his free time. The Afghan all-rounder posted a video of him playing the shot using a golf stick and even asking fans if they ever tried to attempt a shot in golf.

Here is the video…

Former England captain Pietersen was quick to troll the SRH all-rounder by asking him whether he can attempt a switch hit using the golf stick. Pietersen during his playing days was not only known for his attacking style of batting, but also dominated the bowlers with his switch-hit shot which later on became a regular sight in international cricket.

Rashid finished his stint with Lahore Qalanders in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League(PSL) in which he picked up 11 wickets for the franchise. However, despite his effort the Qalanders did not make it to the final of the tournament which was played in UAE. After the PSL stint, Rashid flew to England where he will feature in the Vitality Blast and The Hundred. The leg-spinner will play for Sussex in the Vitality Blast, while in The Hundred he will represent Trent Rockets.

Speaking about his stint with the Sussex team, the world’s No. 1 T20 bowler is already a fan favourite after joining Sharks in 2018. The Afghanistan superstar has taken 24 wickets in 20 appearances for the Sharks, at an economy rate of 6.97 runs per over.

The competition-leading Lahore Qalandars had a 10-run win over Peshawar Zalmi as the second game in the first double-header since the resumption of the Pakistan Super League finished in the early hours of Friday morning. The Qalandars slipped to 25/4 after 7 overs before Ben Dunk (48) and Tim David combined in an 81-run partnership to re-set the innings. David, who finished unbeaten on 64 from 36 balls, then shared a late 47-run stand with James Faulkner (22) to lift the Qalandars to 170/8.

Faulkner took two wickets in his first over, the second of the innings, to have Peshawar in early trouble before Rashid Khan took a pair in the 10th to keep the Qalandars in control. Rashid returned 5/20 to restrict Peshawar to 160/8, despite Shoaib Malik’s 48-ball 73.

Watch the Afghanistan leg-spinner’s five-wicket haul here…

First 5ER in franchise cricket for @rashidkhan_19!

Stunning, unforgettable spell #HBLPSL6 | #MatchDikhao | #PZvLQ pic.twitter.com/wWxMjpiDsb

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) June 10, 2021

In the earlier game, Babar Azam’s unbeaten half century went in vain as Multan Sultans defeated defending champion Karachi Kings by 12 runs. Azam hit 85 off 63 balls, but Multan held Karachi to 164-7 through some disciplined seam and spin bowling.

After being put into bat, Multan did well in the end to push its total to 176-5 with left-handed Khushdil Shah remaining unbeaten on 44 off 32 balls. Fast bowler Imran Khan claimed 3-28 and leg-spinner Imran Tahir picked up the key wickets of Martin Guptill and Afghanistan’s Najibullah Zadran, who both scored 11 runs each as Azam was kept in check by the Multan bowlers.

Azam took his time to settle down and got little support from the other end to challenge the target. Azam raised his 18th half century in the PSL off 45 balls but his five fours and four sixes in the end were not enough to carry his team home.

Khan claimed all his three wickets in the last over and was on a hat trick when he dismissed Thisara Perera and captain Imad Wasim off successive deliveries. Qasim Akram denied Khan the hat trick before offering a tame catch off the last ball at extra cover.

South African Rilee Rossouw smashed seven fours in his quickfire 44 off 24 balls and it looked like Multan could cross the 200-run mark. Rossouw and captain Mohammad Rizwan (29) shared a 68-run third wicket stand off 39 balls as Multan reached 107/2 by the halfway stage.

But Karachi hit back through Thisara Perera, who bagged 2/12 off his three overs as Rossouw sliced a catch to long on and Rizwan was run-out in the same over while attempting a needless second run.

The left-handed Shah propelled Multan’s total with an unbeaten 44 off 32 balls when he hammered Mohammad Amir for three fours and a six in the last over as the left-arm fast bowler, now retired from international cricket, finished with expensive figures of 0/42 off his four overs.

Pakistan’s premier Twenty20 league was moved to Abu Dhabi for the remaining 20 games after it was suspended in March when several players and support staff tested positive for COVID-19 in a bio-secure bubble at Karachi.

(with PTI inputs)

Kabul: Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan is an Indian favorite. He has been sensational in cricket’s shortest format by picking up wickets for franchisees all over the world. He is probably the most unique spinner in the current era. In a recent interview, Rashid said that De Villiers, Dhoni, and Kohli are the three batsmen against whom he likes bowling the most. 

Currently, the no.2 T20 bowler in the world, Rashid Khan does not believe in thinking of records. He said, “I just want to play cricket whether it’s five ten, or 15 years. I don’t keep a count of wickets, I just focus on performing well for the team and win matches. What’s done in the past is gone and I focus on the present and try to help the team win.”