Rashid Khan’s nightmare: Ten boundaries conceded in twenty balls
Rashid went for 59 runs from his four overs (20 balls) — the highest in the history of The Hundred.
It has not been a particularly good spell for Afghanistan's leg-spinner Rashid Khan. In the most recent IPL, Rashid conceded 33 sixes — the most ever hit off a bowler in a single season of the tournament. Now, in England's franchise competition The Hundred, the Afghan star has set another unwanted record: the most expensive bowling figures in the competition's history.
Yesterday in Birmingham, playing for Oval Invincibles against Birmingham Phoenix, Rashid went for 59 runs from his four overs (20 balls) — the highest in the history of The Hundred. The previous record was held by Namibia's David Wiese, who conceded 53 runs in four overs.
On a day when Rashid took such a hammering, his team also lost. Chasing 181, Birmingham needed 61 from the last 25 balls. In Rashid's over at that stage, Liam Livingstone smashed 26 runs with three sixes and two fours.
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That onslaught made the equation much easier for Birmingham. They eventually won with two balls to spare, reaching the target in 98 deliveries. Out of the 20 balls Rashid bowled, 10 went for boundaries — four fours and six sixes.
Livingstone, who remained unbeaten on 69 from 27 balls, was named player of the match. In T20 cricket, no one has scored more runs off Rashid than Livingstone. The England batter has faced 102 balls from him, scoring 200 runs at a strike rate of 196 — also the highest against the Afghan bowler.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Livingstone explained how he managed to take Rashid apart:
"I've played against him before, so I was confident. I've got a good record against Rash when slogging. There were a few balls I wanted to hit straight with a proper bat swing, but to me, slogging felt like the safer option."
Rashid had actually been in good form in his previous two matches, taking six wickets. But his bad patch returned. In the last IPL, aside from the 33 sixes he conceded, he struggled for wickets — just nine in 15 matches, averaging one wicket for every 57 runs conceded. Now, with this latest hammering in The Hundred, the question lingers — has Rashid lost some of his edge?
