It’s a question that circulates after each IPL auction. Why does one of the best T20 bowlers in the world not get picked for the most high-profile T20 tournament?
Adil Rashid is one of the premier white-ball spinners in world cricket. A mainstay in the all-dominating England side over the past seven years, he has become one of the most feared and respected bowlers in international T20 cricket. In his last 30 T20Is for England, he has taken 40 wickets at an average of 19.09 and has an economy of 6.90 as teams look to play him out rather than take any undue risks.
For this reason, it is often met with confused expressions as to why Rashid has only ever played one game in the IPL, when he turned out for Punjab Kings against Rajasthan Royals in the 2021 edition of the competition. And, for what it’s worth, it was an unhappy outing for Rashid as he conceded 35 runs from his three overs.
The answer, however, is simpler than it may first appear. An IPL team is limited to four players per side, which means difficult decisions are required as to what skills sides require from their overseas options. With India not short of talented spinners, Rashid’s talents aren’t necessarily the ones in demand.
The England leggie is not alone in this bracket of world-beating spin bowlers going unsold in the auction, as the same fate met Australia’s Adam Zampa and South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi. As Zampa explained this week: “The mega auction, the way it panned out, they spent a lot of money on fast bowlers, a lot of money on all-rounders and even batsmen don’t get great money. They get OK money.
“And then once all that money gets spent, they go: ‘OK, we need some spinners now’, and usually they feel like the local guys can do an OK job anyway.”
Furthermore, despite Rashid’s often talked about ability with the bat (he has ten first-class hundreds), he is not renowned as a power hitter, meaning he doesn’t fit the same template as someone like Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga, who made big bucks in the recent auction when he was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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