Under Rashid Khan's leadership Afghanistan will be playing their maiden T20 World Cup semi-final. What are the top qualities of captain Rashid Khan?
Afghanistan are on cloud nine at the moment. Their cricket team has earned a maiden semi-final berth in the T20 World Cup 2024 by beating Bangladesh in the Super Eight stage. There were many architects of the victory, and none more deserving than the captain Rashid Khan.
The all-rounder first smoked a 10-ball 19 with three sixes to propel the team’s score to a match-winning 115/5. During the defence, he took four middle-order wickets to turn the game in his team’s favour. However, other than his all-round skills, it is also Rashid’s inspiring captaincy that has helped the team move into the knockouts. Here’s a look at how Rashid makes the perfect captaincy material.
Calmness in adversity
The Bangladesh match looked out of Afghanistan’s reach on many occasions. It all came down to which team gets bogged down by pressure first and succumb. And it wasn’t Rashid and his team. Rashid remained calm even when the margin became too tight for Afghanistan to snatch a victory and march towards the semis.
However, he didn’t flutter when just run-a-ball was needed for Bangladesh to win the match. His calm composure rubbed on his teammates. He also kept doing the basics correctly even when pressure was too hot to handle. Eventually, Afghanistan’s better composure saw them home and win their maiden semi-final berth in the World T20.
Not only this clash, even the match against Australia saw Rashid keeping his calm demeanour to imply all is under control. This attitude helped his teammates to pick regular wickets and bowl out Australia. This approach towards captaincy will help Rashid and his team to face a tough battle against South Africa in the semi-final.
Vast experience of playing in different leagues across the world
Name a franchise-based T20 event, and you will find Rashid Khan being part of the extravaganza. He has even played in the Caribbean Premier League in the West Indies where the 2024 World T20 is being held. Hence, he knows the pitches and conditions inside out. He has played in the competitive IPL, Big Bash League and many other T20 tournaments.
This vast T20 experience has helped Rashid Khan convey some vital input to his teammates who have responded with performances on the field, reposing the faith put on them by their skipper. Hence, if any player who has done better and evolved as an all-rounder and especially as captain, it has to be Rashid.
Leading from the front
Being the best player of the squad has its perks and pitfalls. Rashid would have been definitely sorted out by the opponents, thanks to the technological advancements. Teams would have made plans to bat Rashid out and target other bowlers.
Even against this strategy from opponents, Rashid has picked up wickets to lead from the front and set an example for other cricketers to follow. In the Bangladesh match, Rashid broke the opponent’s middle-order with his four-wicket haul for his other teammates to reap the rewards. He would not have done it without this leadership style of his.
Instilling self-belief
Rashid Khan has immense self-belief in his abilities to win matches from any situation. He has done it a few times in the IPL when he cracked a six on the last ball to win a match. This self-belief has rubbed on his teammates as well. When a captain has such strong self-belief, it helps the teammates believe in themselves as well.
And it has shown on the field, twice in two games, they beat an opponent they had never beaten before in World T20. Brian Lara had predicted that Afghanistan will make it to the semis. And it wasn’t foolhardy when Rashid told Lara at a welcome party that “we will make sure we prove that right as well.” And now, Rashid can be really proud of this strong self-belief in him and his teammates.
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