One of the best players to have played the t20 format, Afghanistan star Rashid Khan has now reached the 100 match mark in the leading tournament in the worldwide franchise circuit - the Indian Premier League. Since his first IPL appearance as a teenager in 2017, Rashid has been one of the most consistent players in the competition.
In 100 matches, Rashid has taken 126 wickets at an incredible strike rate of 18.9 complete with a remarkable economy rate of 6.56. He currently sits 13th in the all-time list of IPL wicket-takers aged just 24 and is primed to take many more.
His milestone match against Kolkata Knight Riders on 29th April 2023, though, did not return a memorable performance to match a memorable occasion.
His Afghanistan teammate Rahmanullah Gurbaz tucked into his bowling as Rashid returned his second-most expensive IPL figures of 4-0-54-0. His day did get better, though, as his team Gujarat Titans comfortably won by seven wickets.
IPL 2017: Rashid Khan's debut IPL season
Rashid's debut season in the IPL saw him finish as Sunrisers Hyderabad's second-top wicket-taker after Bhuvneshwar Kumar (26) with 17 in 14 matches. He helped his side to third in the league standings but was unable to make an impact in a weather-affected Eliminator match against Kolkata Knight Riders, despite recording figures of 2-0-11-0.
As an 18-year-old, his consistency with the ball was remarkable and he provided superb control along with Bhuvneshwar. Rashid's economy for the 2017 season was just 6.62, as well as taking a wicket every 19 balls. He was not quite as impactful with the bat at this stage of his career, appearing at the crease just three times.
IPL 2018: Rashid's first IPL Final
Rashid followed up his first IPL season with an even better one as he helped Sunrisers to the Final, only to be beaten by perennial winners Chennai Super Kings. Overall, he finished second only to Andrew Tye (24) in the race for the Purple Cap as he joined his teammate Siddharth Kaul on 21 wickets for the season. His numbers were very similar to his debut season, with an economy of 6.73 and strike rate of 19.4. This time around, he batted seven times and scored 59 runs at a strike rate of 190.3.
The 2018 season also saw one of Rashid's finest ever IPL performances. In the second Qualifier, where the winner headed to the Final, Sunrisers were put into bat by Kolkata Knight Riders. As Carlos Brathwaite was run out off the penultimate ball of the 18th over, Sunrisers were 134-6 and in desperate need of quick runs to get to a competitive total. Rashid duly struck an unbeaten 34 from just ten balls to incredibly take Hyderabad all the way up to 174-7.
He then took 3-19 in four overs that included the wicket of Chris Lynn for 48 and the dismissals of Robin Uthappa and Andre Russell. Not only that, but he also helped to affect the run out of the dangerous Nitish Rana, all of which helped to seal his side's passage to the Final.
IPL 2019: another playoff qualification for Rashid
For the third consecutive season, Rashid played a big part in Sunrisers qualifying for the playoffs. Again, though, they fell short in the Eliminator. Rashid, though, was typically tight with the ball and conceded his runs at just 6.28 an over, having bowled his full quota in all 15 matches. He was again second in his team's wicket-takers list, this time picking up 17 to Khaleel Ahmed's 19.
With the bat, he appeared eight times and was dismissed without scoring on three occasions but overall he scored 34 runs at a strike rate of 147.8. There was not much more he could have done with the ball in the Eliminator, taking 2-15 in his four overs that included a maiden in what was a contextually brilliant performance despite the penultimate ball defeat.
IPL 2020: Rashid suffers playoff heartache again
In Rashid's fourth season, he again helped Sunrisers to another playoff - their fifth in a row after winning the IPL in 2016. For the second season in a row, though, they fell to Delhi Capitals. It was yet another quality season from the Afghan leg-spinner as he recorded more brilliant figures, with this season being played in the United Arab Emirates.
The economy dropped below six for the first time across an IPL season, with Rashid going at just 5.37 an over across the 16 matches he played. He also picked up 20 wickets as he finally moved to being Sunrisers' outright top wicket-taker in a season. He wasn't quite as effective with the bat in the UAE, scoring just 35 runs in seven innings at an unusually low strike rate of 116.7. He again performed admirably in the playoff defeat, taking 1-26 in four overs as Delhi racked up 189-3.
IPL 2021: Rashid's forgettable last season with Sunrisers
The fifth, and what turned out to be the final, season with the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise ended in disappointing fashion for Rashid as his side finished rock bottom of the league standings. Personally, though, it was another stellar season for Rashid. The second successvie IPL tournament held in the UAE, he again finished as Sunrisers top wicket-taker with 18 and his economy rate was low once more at 6.69.
As what could perhaps be an indicator of Sunrisers poor season, Rashid appeared ten times with the bat in 14 matches. He scored 83 runs at a strike rate of 120.3 and once again was dismissed for three ducks. The season marked a changing of the guard at Hyderabad, with Rashid joining David Warner as two cornerstones of the recent success departed ahead of the 2022 season.
IPL 2022: Rashid's first IPL triumph
After leaving Sunrisers, Rashid was picked up as one of the first new signings for new IPL franchise Gujarat Titans. It was success at the first attempt for the Titans, with Rashid unsurprisingly playing a key part in their maiden title win. he was second in the Gujarat wicket-takers list as he claimed 19 wickets behind Mohammad Shami's 20.
Once again, Rashid's economy rate was under seven as he went for just 6.59 per over in the 16 games that he played. He also produced some magic with the bat, scoring 91 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 206.8, including his highest score in the IPL of 44. Funnily enough, though, Rashid collected three ducks for the third season in a row. In the Final against Rajasthan Royals, Rashid was typically impressive with the ball as he took 1-18 in four overs.
IPL 2023: 100 IPL matches and counting for Rashid Khan
After eight matches so far, Rashid has helped Gujarat to the top of the table after Match 39. He has taken 14 wickets and is currently the Titans' top wicket-taker ahead of Shami (13). However, this is shaping up to be by far Rashid's most expensive IPL season. His aforementioned performance in his 100th IPL match has contributed to an economy of 8.75 through eight games.
Rashid Khan's notable IPL achievements
Somewhat unsurprisingly, Rashid became the youngest player in IPL history to take 100 wickets, at the age of 23. He also joined mercurial West Indian Sunil Narine in becoming just the second overseas spinner to take 100 wickets.
Indeed, it took the Afghanistan all-rounder just 83 matches to claim his century of dismissals, which is the joint-fastest for a spinner in the IPL alongside Amit Mishra. In fact, up until this season, only Lasith Malinga (70) and Bhuvneshwar (81) had taken 100 wickets in fewer innings; Harshal Patel (79) and Kagiso Rabada (64) have reached the milestone this season.
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