"I will be picking his brains for his experience"- Adil Rashid hopes to hone his skills under Anil Kumble with Punjab Kings
England leg-spinner Adil Rashid will feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the first time. He was roped in as a replacement for the injured Jhye Richardson.
Rashid, despite his reputation with the white-ball, could not forge his way into the IPL over the years with franchises preferring Indian spinners and A-list overseas spinners. He is one of the leading wicket takers in the shortest format for England.
Rashid is the leading spinner in the England squad for the T20 World Cup alongside Moeen Ali. With the IPL taking place at the same set of venues as the global showcase, Rashid hopes to learn from one of the leading leg-spinners the game has ever produced, Anil Kumble. The former Indian captain serves as the coach of the Punjab Kings. Speaking to TOI, Rashid said:
"100%. Kumble was one of the best leg-spinners in the world. So, I will be picking his brains for his experience and whatever he says about leg-spin will be valuable. He has been there and done that. So, I 'm looking forward to interacting with him, and hopefully I'll learn a lot from him."
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Punjab Kings are currently placed sixth in the table. They will resume their campaign with a clash against the Rajasthan Royals.
Adil Rashid begins training with the Punjab Kings
The leg-spinner completed his mandated quarantine period in the UAE and took the field for the franchise to train with his teammates. Rashid also spoke about the importance of the tournament taking place in the UAE in relation to England's chances of securing the T20 World Cup, later this year. Rashid added:
"Yes, definitely. The T20 WC is just after this, so to be here now, to gain the experience of these conditions, the atmosphere, the weather, you know hopefully will put me in a good position for the World Cup as well."
He will face competition within the squad from the likes of Murugan Ashwin and Ravi Bishnoi, who have been the backbone of the Punjab Kings' spin force for a year and a half.