Rashid Khan celebrates a KXIP wicket in Dubai on Thursday.
Rashid Khan has been taking wickets at a canter at the ongoing IPL 2020 and was in his element when he picked three wickets on Thursday against Kings XI Punjab to restrict the team at 132 while defending 201. The mystery leg spinner also bowled a maiden two-wicket over in the match and was on a hat-trick for his next over but the T Natarajan bowled out the side before Rashid could bowled.
Rashid, however, was more than happy on his team success and dedicated the win to his fellow Afghan teammate Najeeb Tarakai, who died in a car accident in Kabul a day earlier. The spinner said he wore a black armband during the match and said Najeeb was a friend to everyone in the team.
"He (Najeeb Tarakai) was a good friend, human being and we lost him two days ago in an accident, it is something shocking," he said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Talking about his bowling, Rashid says his job became partly easier after the huge total of 200 put on the board after some fireworks by Jonny Bairstow (97 runs) and David Warner (52) in the first ininings.
"That's what happens when you have a good total on the board, the batsmen have to go after you. But you also have to bowl your best deliveries and that's what I was trying to do," said Rashid, who added that losing Mitchell Marsh and Bhuvneshwar earlier in the season due to injury has been a big blow for the team.
