IPL 2019: Bowl your best and hope for the best; Rashid Khan's suggestion in stopping Warner and Russell

Hyderabad: The ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is marked for the exploits of David Warner at the top for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Andre Russell’s devastation for the Kolkata Knight Riders. The Caribbean all-rounder stands in top five run-scorers list of the tournament with 392 runs which he scored at a strike-rate of 217.77. On the other hand, David Warner is continuing his IPL exploits where he left it in 2017.

The Australian opener became the first player to touch the 500-run mark in IPL 2019. He and his fellow opener Jonny Bairstow have carried SRH’s batting this season. Warner has seven fifty-plus scores in only nine innings thus far and is set towards his 3rd consecutive 600+ IPL season. The Sunrisers Hyderabad leg-spinner Rashid Khan thinks it is tough to plan something differently while bowling to players like Warner and Russell in the current form.

Rashid feels sticking to the basics and hoping for the best possible returns is what one can expect while taking on Warner and Russell at the moment. “I think in T20s when someone is in form and hitting even good balls, you need to back yourself by bowling your best. You can’t do anything differently. Like the way Russell is hitting in the tournament is unstoppable. He is hitting everyone. As a bowler, you have to give your 100% and hope it works,” he said in the post-match press conference.

I don’t change my mind for any format

Rashid Khan also spoke about the plans of bowling in the IPL and in the coming World Cup. According to the Afghanistan leg-spinner, he treats every format equally and doesn’t like to change his skills for any format.

“My focus is playing cricket. This is shorter format (IPL) and that is longer format (CWC). I never change my mind and skills for any format. I try to be at my best and bowl my best deliveries,” says the 20-year-old.

Even after three years of entering the bigger stage, Rashid is still a challenge for any batsmen. The wrist spinner thinks that his release point and being a quicker bowler makes things tougher for the batsmen than the fellow leg-spinners.

“I think the release point and quick arm speed I have is quite different from other leg-spinners. The speeds with which I am bowling makes it difficult for the batsman. It is too quick. It not like 85-86 (KMPH), maybe my average will be 95 (KMPH) or something like that. That’s who I love to bowl quicker and the little bit movement from the wicket is helping me.” Rashid Khan added.

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