Afghanistan all-rounder Rashid Khan took Sussex into the finals of the T20 Blast, 2021 with his match-winning knock against Yorkshire on Tuesday.
Rashid Khan stayed unbeaten in the innings, hitting 27 runs off just nine deliveries. He slammed three fours and two sixes during the course of his knock. However, his helicopter shot in the eighteenth over of the innings caught everyone’s attention.
Yorkshire’s fast bowler Jordan Thompson bowled a full-pitched delivery around the off-stump, which Rashid smoked for a six dancing down the track, unfurling his helicopter shot.
Watch the helicopter shot here:
🚁 RASHID KHAN 🚁
How have you played this??!!#Blast21 pic.twitter.com/KU2DCptXgp
— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) August 24, 2021
Opting to bat first, Yorkshire put on 177 runs on the board, on the back of Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Gary Ballance’s fifties. For Sussex, Tymal Mills took three wickets. Chasing 178, Sussex got off to a brilliant start scoring 72 runs for the loss of no wickets. However, quick wickets by the bowlers brought Yorkshire back in the match. But Rashid Khan’s fiery cameo, in the end, took Sussex home by 5 wickets. He earned the Player of the Match award for match-winning knock.
Reflecting on his performance, the Afghanistan spinner, Rashid Khan said that he backed his skills to come good and finish off the match for Sussex.
“I just needed to back my skills, and thanks to the coaching staff for sending me in a bit earlier to finish the game. I tried my best to stay still and do the basics right. They bowled where I wanted it, and I finished it off well,” Rashid Khan said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Long been a feeling that Rashid Khan's batting is underused in T20 – has a higher ceiling than Sunil Narine, and because he is in the team as a bowler relatively little cost to his team if he's out cheaply.
That cameo – 27 off 9 balls to power Sussex home – shows what he can do
— Tim Wigmore (@timwig) August 24, 2021
However, Rashid Khan will not be available for the finals of the T20 Blast. He wished his team luck for the big day.
“Unfortunately, I won’t be available for that. I wish my team all the very best. I’ll definitely be watching them and cheering for them. I’m sure they’ll do well,” he added.
Sussex became the first team this year to qualify for the finals of the T20 Blast. They will play the finals on Saturday, September 18 at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
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