HYDERABAD:An 18-year-old from Afghanistan is the talk of the town at the moment. After being bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 4 crore at the IPL auction this February, Rashid Khan has made many cricket aficionados ask: “Who is this guy?”
The answer lies around 2,000 kms away from India’s western border in the Nangarhar province in Afghanistan. Born in a volatile region close to the Pakistan border, Rashid has defied quite a few obstacles to get here. When his country qualified for the T20 World Cup in 2010, the leg-spinner was playing tennis-ball cricket with his brothers on the streets of Jalalabad, the province capital.
“When I saw the national team playing in the World Cup live on TV, I knew at that moment that I had to represent my country. It was through hard work and my family’s support that I got here,” Rashid said.
The facilities back home where not up to the mark. “Around 4-5 years ago, there were no proper grounds because of which we could not play competitive games. It was difficult in the beginning with lack of academies. Now, there are many stadiums and an academy in almost every province,” Rashid added. There is even one in his home province. “In two years, it will be even better,” he hopes.
Rashid grew up in a joint family. He has six brothers and four sisters and his father runs a business. His dream of donning the national jersey was realised a month after his 17th birthday, when he made his debut against Zimbabwe in October 2015. One and half years later, the leggie became the youngest to take 50 wickets in ODIs last month.
The auction was something he did not expect as he not only became the second-ever Afghan player to be picked up by an IPL team (SRH teammate Mohammad Nabi is the first) but also the most expensive from any Associate team. “I wanted to be a part of IPL. When I saw Imran Tahir not getting picked, I thought how would I figure in their scheme of things? But to my surprise, a bidding war took place,” said Rashid, who wants to take tips from Hyderabad bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan.
Despite achieving success, the Afghan has not met his family in the last three and half months and his ever-expanding travel itinerary will not let him do that in the months to come. “I have been out of my country for three and half months now. First Dubai, Zimbabwe and then India. I do not know when I will go home because right after IPL, I’m going to the West Indies for a series and after that I will play in the Caribbean Premier League.
“I’m sure there will be celebrations when I reach home. I hope it is a day to remember,” the spinner concluded shyly.
vishal@newindianexpress.com