Brilliant Rashid back to best after rare blip

Rashid Khan’s remarkable return to form following the worst back-to-back outings of his stellar T20 career has culminated in the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s rise to second on the Indian Premier League table.

After two below-par outings in losses against Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings, the 19-year-old leg-spinner found rhythm to claim five wickets in his next two matches, a major factor in Kane Williamson's side claiming consecutive victories.

Rashid is one of the most in-demand T20 bowlers in the world for a reason; with a career economy rate of less than six, the teenager seldom has a bad day with the ball.

Statistically at least, Rashid went into this year’s IPL without ever having had two poor T20 games in a row. 

Prior to his two disastrous (by his standards) outings of 1-55 and 1-49 in consecutive games, he had only conceded more than 40 runs in a match three times, and never in successive matches.

It's a remarkable feat given Rashid is still a teenager whose craft is acknowledged as the most difficult to master. He has already played nearly 100 games of international, IPL, BBL and other high-stakes T20 matches.

The rare lapse was seen as a positive by the Afghan spinner after speaking with the Hyderabad coaching staff, which includes one of cricket’s greatest-ever spin bowlers.

“I learned from it, especially in the last two games – giving 55 and 49 in two games, it wasn’t expected from me,” Rashid said this week.

“For my future, it was good for me because I learned from that, the coaches spoke to me, especially (Muthiah) Muralidaran, Tom Moody and VVS Laxman.

"We had a good chat before the game, the only (feedback) was to be positive.

“Some bad days are coming in players’ careers, you learn from that, just do the basics right and see the results.”

Since then, it's been business as usual.

Rashid’s figures of 2-11 and 3-19 against the Mumbai Indians and a return bout against Kings XI Punjab respectively was a sign he was back to his best.

And he says the key to his success is his ability to exploit a point of difference he has over other leg-spinners.

“(I’m) a little bit different to the other leg-spinners, I bowl a little bit quicker than them and have a quick arm action which makes it difficult to judge which way it’s going,” he said.

“I think that is plus point for me in that I’m taking advantage of that and that’s helping me.”

Rashid’s array of deliveries was on full display against Kings XI, bowling a conventional leg-break to bamboozle the in-form KL Rahul, before following up with a wrong-un to trap Karun Nair in front.

His spell was arguably the most influential contribution for the victorious Hyderabad outfit, upstaged only by Kings XI quick Ankit Rajpoor who claimed player-of-the-match honours after a maiden five-wicket haul in a losing cause.

The 2017 Men’s Associate Player of the Year has taken 26 wickets in 21 IPL matches since debuting in last year’s edition, looking to back up his MVP-winning season with the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League.