Adil Rashid

A wicket-taking leg-break bowler, Adil Rashid has established himself as an integral part of the current English limited-overs set-up and came in handy during England’s triumphant World Cup campaign in 2019. Rashid’s career hasn’t really taken off especially given the fact that he made his ODI and T20I debut for England way back in 2009. He made a return to international cricket only after a gap of six years. 

Rashid was brought into the Test set-up on the back of some exceptional performances in the County Championship. He played a pivotal role in Yorkshire winning the championship. He had a pretty forgettable Test debut against Pakistan and despite taking a fifer in one of the matches, Rashid conceded runs at an alarming rate. His inability to build pressure in Test cricket didn’t really help but he held onto his spot for the long 7 match tour in the subcontinent (two Tests in Bangladesh and five in India). 

Rashid performed well and bagged 30 wickets against some top-class batters against spin. However, he always leaked runs and had not once bowled a spell at under 3 runs an over. After England’s dismal performance on the subcontinent tour, Rashid was shown the exit door. Rashid has never really managed to cement his place on the Test side. However, he was brought back in a controversial manner during India’s tour of England. Rashid had decided not to play first-class cricket so the decision was bound to raise a few eyebrows. It was on the back of his performances in the limited-overs format that Rashid was brought into the Test foray. 

While Rashid hasn’t really realized his potential in the red-ball format, he continues to be an integral part of the limited-overs set-up and has always done the job for Eoin Morgan whenever he has handed him the ball in the middle overs. He has the tendency of leaking runs but his ability to bag crucial wickets at important junctures of the match makes him a valuable asset to England’s ODI and T20 set-up. He loves bowling in the middle overs when the fields are spread out.

Rashid played a crucial part in the redemption of England post the 2015 World Cup debacle and was instrumental in England occupying the numero uno status in the 50 overs format. In the lead up to the World Cup, Rashid bowled with guile and confidence and had an impressive time in the World Cup. Despite not picking enough wickets, he controlled the game in the middle overs which helped England in the long run.

Post the COVID-19 break, Rashid had a good time with the ball in the limited-overs series against Australia. He bagged 6 wickets in the 3 matches T20I series while chipping in with 4He bagged 6 wickets in the 3 matches T20I series while chipping in with 4 in 3 matches. Given his wicket-taking abilities, Rashid is expected to remain a vital cog in the England limited-overs set-up in the coming few years.