3 instances of a batter smashing Rashid Khan for plenty in T20 cricket
Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan is arguably the best leg-spinner in modern-day cricket, especially in the shortest format. He is a regular feature in the T20 leagues going around the globe.
Batters have no clue how to deal with his menace. His googlies are a rare sight in world cricket, leaving batters guessing which way the ball would go. Given his exploits over a consistent period of time, Rashid is the top-ranked T20I bowler in the ICC rankings.
However, even the best in the business goes through a bad day. There have only been a few occasions where Rashid has been torn apart by the batters, hitting him for plenty.
On that note, let's take a look at three instances of a batter smashing Rashid Khan for plenty in T20 cricket.
#1 Marco Jansen (28 runs in an over)
The SA20 keeps delivering. Can't think of a better use of long levers than Marco Jansen displayed today
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South African all-rounder Marco Jansen recently proved his exploits with the bat, playing a sublime 66-run knock off just 27 balls in the ongoing SA20. His late blitz helped the Sunrisers Eastern Cape chase down 172 runs with three balls to spare.
However, the highlight of Jansen's innings came when he thrashed Rashid all over the park. In the 16th over of the Sunrisers' chase, Jansen smashed four sixes and one boundary in the Afghan's over to accumulate 28 runs.
The momentum drifted in the Sunrisers' favor after that over, who won the game by two wickets.
#2 Chris Gayle (26 runs in an over)
Chris Gayle is one of the most dangerous batsmen in T20 cricket. Famously known as the 'Universe Boss' for his heroics with the bat in T20 leagues across the globe, Gayle has been a nightmare for the opposition bowlers.
Even a talented bowler like Rashid wasn't spared from his wrath. The West Indies legend smashed the Afghan cricketer for 26 runs in an over during an IPL 2018 game while playing for the Punjab Kings (PBKS). Gayle smashed four sixes and ran two runs off the last ball of the 14th over of the innings.
Later, in an interview with the Open Nets, KL Rahul, who used to open the innings with Gayle at the time, revealed that the left-handed batter was pumped to face Rashid and said he would finish him.
“I remember one instance in 2018, he (Chris Gayle) was hungry, he was angry, and he wanted to win. We had a match against the Sunrisers, and he told me, ‘If Rashid Khan comes on, I am gonna finish him because I don’t like a spinner coming and staring me down. If he stares at me, I am going to finish him’,” Rahul said.
Gayle scored a sensational 104 off just 63 deliveries, with the help of one four and 11 towering sixes. Riding on his breathtaking knock, Punjab defeated Hyderabad by 15 runs.
#3 AB de Villiers (29 runs in one over)
Former South African skipper AB de Villiers is one of the fiercest strikers of the cricket ball. His ability to score runs in every corner of the field sets him apart from his contemporaries.
While he has played many memorable knocks in his T20 career, the one he played against Afghanistan in the 2016 World T20 will go down as one of the best. De Villiers, who came out to bat at No. 4 thrashed the Afghan bowlers to all parts of the ground.
He was especially brutal against Rashid, smashing him for 29 runs in the 17th over at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter struck four sixes and one boundary en route to that 29-run over.
On the back of De Villiers' breathtaking knock, South Africa posted 209 runs, which in the end proved to be too much for the Afghans.
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