"I feel like there won't be any pressure" - Rashid Khan banking on vice-captaincy experience with Gujarat Titans ahead of SA20 season
MI Cape Town skipper Rashid Khan believes that his stint as vice-captain of the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) will help him in the inaugural edition of the SA20 league.
The leg-spinner has also been appointed captain of the Afghanistan T20I side following Mohammad Nabi's resignation after the World Cup in November.
Rashid was appointed captain of Mumbai Indians' (MI) South Africa-based sister franchise after he was roped in as a preliminary pick. The squad boasts several star players like Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Dewald Brevis, and wildcard pick Jofra Archer.
The 24-year-old, who served as the vice-captain of defending IPL champions Gujarat Titans in 2022, led GT to victory in the absence of regular skipper Hardik Pandya against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Noting that there is no additional pressure that the responsibility of the captaincy brings along, Rashid told reporters ahead of the opening SA20 fixture:
"I think the experience of being vice-captain in the IPL for Gujarat (Gujarat Titans) has been good and that has helped me as a player as well. It is just about you making sure you enjoy your cricket and you can only give hundred percent and what capability you have, you just need to focus on that."
He continued:
"So, I feel like there won't be any pressure, there is excitement that lot of things will be there that I can learn as a captain and that will make me better cricketer as well so, just looking forward to that."
Rashid has led the Afghanistan national team in the past. He was appointed as captain across all three formats after the 2019 ODI World Cup. However, the stint did not go as planned as the board appointed Asghar Afghan as captain in December 2019.
His second stint as captain in September 2021 was also not fruitful as he proceeded to resign after the board announced the squad for the T20 World Cup 2021. Stating differences with the board over the selection board, he chose to step down.
Rashid Khan-led MI Cape Town set to take on Paarl Royals in SA20 opening clash
The highly anticipated SA20 will kickstart with a derby in the form of MI Cape Town facing the David Miller-led Paarl Royals on Tuesday, January 10.
David Miller commented on the prospect of having ace players like Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler at his disposal. He said:
"We are privileged to have Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler along with a very experienced coach and lot of exciting young players. So, that probably is the trick to try and get the guys together as quick as possible."
The opening match is scheduled to take place at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town.
Who will win the opening clash between MI Cape Town and the Paarl Royals? Let us know what you think.
Also Read: "It is critical that Hardik Pandya bowls 7-8 overs in a match" - Wasim Jaffer