Adil Rashid

Adil Rashid happens to be one of the best leg-spinners in World cricket right now, but his career has been severely impaired by England’s reluctance to use him as a premium spinner in the game's longer format.

Rashid belongs to the Mirpuri community and his family migrated to England in 1967 from Kashmir. Rashid showed promise from a young age. Terry Jenner spotted him as a 14-year-old. In 2006, he played several games for Yorkshire Second XI, making four successive centuries.

Adil Rashid Along the Years

Adil Rashid Records

• The most economical spell in T20 World Cup history (2.2-2-4)

• 1st most consecutive four wickets haul in T20I.

• 6th most wicket wickets in T20 first for England.

Adil Rashid Career

English cricketer Adil Rashid was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, on February 17, 1988. He is well-known for his extraordinary abilities in the One Day International (ODI) and Twenty Twenty International (T20I) formats. Rashid, who turns 35 in the IPL 2023 season, has developed into a superb leg-spin bowler and a useful right-handed hitter. In domestic cricket, he has been an important member of the Yorkshire team, and he is often involved in several international T20 tournaments.

Rashid's selection by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 2 crore in the 2023 IPL auction highlights his ongoing value in the game's shorter formats. In both ODI and T20I forms, he made his debut for England on the international scene in 2009. From 2015 to 2019, Rashid also represented England in Test cricket, but he preferred to play limited-overs formats.

Rashid's efforts were crucial to England's triumphs in the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2019 Cricket World Cup. In both ODIs and T20Is, he is England's leading spin bowler in terms of wicket-taking. He is ranked second overall in T20Is, only behind Chris Jordan. Rashid's world record-breaking seventh-wicket partnership in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) happened in 2015 when he and Jos Buttler scored 177 runs against New Zealand. In an indication that limited-overs cricket is his forte, Rashid has committed to a white-ball-only contract with Yorkshire. This choice demonstrates his commitment to becoming an expert in shorter formats and continuing to be an important participant on the global scene.

Adil Rashid Domestic Career

From an early age, Adil Rashid's ability as a cricket player was apparent. The renowned Terry Jenner discovered Rashid when he was just 14 years old, and by the time he was 17, he was already becoming well-known. He had a fantastic performance for Yorkshire's Academy team at the beginning of July 2005, capturing six wickets for just thirteen runs. A few days later, in an Under-17 County Championship encounter against Cheshire, he again demonstrated his talent by smashing a magnificent century (111 runs) for the Yorkshire Cricket Board's Under-17 team.

Rashid's steady results in 2006 attracted attention. While playing for Yorkshire's Second XI, he accomplished the unusual accomplishment of scoring four hundreds in a row, highlighting his developing batsmanship. Darren Lehmann, Yorkshire's overseas player, suffered a regrettable calf injury at the same time as his remarkable run of performance. Rashid was able to join Yorkshire's senior team and play in a first-class match because of this injury.

Rashid made a spectacular debut. He took Lehmann's spot in the starting lineup for the game against Warwickshire at North Marine Road in Scarborough. Taking six wickets at a cost of just 67 runs in the second innings, Rashid demonstrated his bowling prowess and helped Yorkshire win by dismantling Warwickshire's middle order. His swift rise to prominence beyond county cricket was largely attributed to his ability to alter games with both bat and ball.

As a result of his early performance, Rashid was selected for the England Under-19 team for a Test series against India’s Under-19 team. In the first Test, played at Canterbury, he made his debut for the England team. Even though he only took one wicket and scored 13 and 23 runs in his two individual performances, it was obvious that he had the capacity to improve. But Rashid really came into his own in the second Test at Taunton. He scored 48 runs in one inning and 114 runs in another, delivering an all-around masterclass. Alongside his batting exploits, he also captured a combined 10 wickets in the match, capturing 8/157 and 2/45. This performance solidified his ascent to prominence.

As the season went on, Rashid kept playing for Yorkshire and established himself as a regular member of the squad. His contributions were vital, and he had a standout game against Middlesex (4/96). His first-class half-century occurred at Headingley against Nottinghamshire, where his 63 runs, along with a partnership with Craig White, saved Yorkshire from certain defeat. He was crucial in bowling Nottinghamshire out as well, which helped his team win again.

The England and Wales Cricket Board helped Rashid further in his cricket career by involving him in a unique two-day "spin match" meant to improve the abilities of aspiring spin bowlers. Rashid's reputation grew significantly as a result of these experiences, paving the way for a bright future in cricket.

After a challenging winter abroad, Adil Rashid returned to play for Yorkshire in the 2010 season, displaying his potential for an England recall. In his first match against Warwickshire, Rashid impressed with his batting, regaining confidence throughout the season. He finished the county championship with 732 runs at an average of 45.75 and took 57 wickets at 31.29. Additionally, he claimed 26 wickets in the Twenty20 Cup, the most for Yorkshire and the fourth-highest overall. Despite these strong performances, Rashid was overlooked by England selectors for the home series against Bangladesh and the Ashes, with Monty Panesar preferred.

Over the 2010-11 winter, Rashid played in Australia’s KFC Twenty20 Big Bash for South Australia, where he performed well, taking 10 wickets, just behind leaders Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins. South Australia won the tournament, further showcasing Rashid's abilities. Following the Big Bash, he played for England Lions on their tour of the West Indies, competing in the Regional Four Day Competition.

In 2013, just before the start of the county season, Rashid hinted at requesting a loan if his form didn’t improve, which Yorkshire's director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, clarified as a miscommunication. Rashid quickly dispelled any doubts about his form, starting the season with a career-high 180 against Somerset and scoring two more centuries, maintaining an average above 200. His bowling also improved, with career-best figures of 5/33 in a 2014 one-day match against Hampshire, cementing his status as an all-rounder with both bat and ball.

Adil Rashid IPL and other Franchise Career

Adil Rashid played his first IPL match in 2021 for Punjab Kings, where he conceded 35 runs in his three overs while bowling and could not take any wicket. After playing one match in the 2021 IPL, Adil was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad in their team for Rs 2 crore two years later, after which he got to play two matches in the 2023 IPL, where he took two wickets while bowling.

Apart from IPL, Adil Rashid is a part of many T20 leagues around the world, some of the major T20s are D Hundred to be held in England, in which Adil Rashid has been playing for the Northern Super Challenge for the last four seasons, where he has taken 38 wickets in 31 matches.

Apart from the Hundred, Adil Rashid has played 110 matches for York City in Vitality Blast, another T20 league held in England, in which he has taken 118 wickets. Adil Rashid has played for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League held in Australia in 2015-16, where he took 16 wickets in 9 matches. In a similar T20 league held in South Africa, Adil also took 22 wickets in 20 matches for Pretoria Capital. Apart from these big and prominent leagues, Adil Rashid has played one match for DHD in the Bangladesh Premier League held in Bangladesh, three matches for SW in the International League, and a total of seven matches for two different teams in the Champions League.

Adil Rashid International Career

Adil Rashid’s international career saw a series of ups and downs after his breakthrough in 2009. He was called up to replace an injured Andrew Flintoff in the ICC World Twenty20 and impressed in games against Pakistan and the West Indies, finishing the tournament with 3 wickets and an economy of 7.30. Although included in the squad for the 2009 Ashes, Rashid did not play, instead returning to county cricket where he put up strong performances for Yorkshire, scoring centuries and taking five-wicket hauls.

Rashid made his ODI debut for England in 2009, and his performance in the ODI series against Australia stood out, though he was surprisingly dropped after a strong showing. He was often seen as a backup spinner, playing behind Graeme Swann and Moeen Ali, but managed key performances in limited-overs matches, particularly in the 2015 series against New Zealand, where his batting and bowling shone.

Although Rashid struggled in Test cricket, notably conceding 0-163 on debut against Pakistan, he bounced back with a five-wicket haul in the second innings. His consistency in limited-overs cricket earned him a spot in England’s squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup, where he played a key role in their eventual triumph. Over the years, he continued to excel in ODIs and T20Is, becoming a reliable player in England’s spin attack.

Despite fluctuating form in Tests, Rashid’s contributions in shorter formats cemented his place as one of England’s premier limited-overs bowlers, known for his ability to perform under pressure and deliver key wickets when needed.

Adil Rashid ODI Career

Adil Rashid started his ODI career on 27 August, 2009, against Ireland where he took only one wicket while bowling. Due to his performance, he was included in the first match of the ODI series against Australia where he bowled brilliantly and impressed everyone. Apart from this, he also scored 31 runs in 23 balls with the bat, but despite this, England lost the match to Australia by four runs.

Adil Rashid took two wickets in the three ODIs of the series and after that he was played in the second ODI against South Africa in November 2009 where his bowling was not very impressive and he conceded 27 runs in three overs at an economy of 9 and did not take any wicket.

Due to showing below-average performance at the international level, he was dropped from the ODI team, after which he searched for a way to make a comeback for many years, in which he got success in the 2015 England vs New Zealand ODI series. Adil Rashid, who played the first match of this series, made a great comeback and took four wickets for 55 runs in 10 overs, with which England won this match by a huge margin of 210 runs.

After putting up a great fight in the international ODI, Adil Rashid soon secured his prominent place in the England team and he is continuously associated with the team. Adil Rashid's first five-wicket haul in the ODI format came on 5 May 2017 against Ireland where he completed his first five-wicket haul by giving only 27 runs in 8 overs.

In the ICC Champions Trophy held in 2017, Adil Rashid played only three matches for England but his performance was very good where he took 7 wickets at an economy of 4.73, after which his game kept improving and he made many records.

Adil Rashid played a very important role in England's victory in the 2019 ICC World Cup where he took 11 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 5.72 and kept his team's bowling side strong. In the 2023 ICC World Cup, Adil Rashid took full advantage of the Indian conditions and took 15 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 5.18, becoming the highest wicket-taker for England.

Adil Rashid Test Career

Adil Rashid has played only 19 Test matches in his 16-year-long international career, which he played between 2015 and 2019. Adil Rashid played his first Test match against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on 13 October 2015, where he did not take any wickets in the first innings while bowling, but in the second innings he surprised everyone by taking five wickets.

Adil Rashid, who took five wickets in his first match, took only eight wickets in three matches of the Test series against Pakistan. Despite this, he was included in the Test series against Bangladesh where he took 7 wickets in two matches, but the best performance of his career proved to be the India vs England Test series in which five matches were played. In this Test series, Adil Rashid took full advantage of the Indian conditions and took 23 wickets in five matches.

Adil Rashid's performance was good in Asian conditions but when it came to European conditions, his performance in the Test format was not very good. On one hand, where he took 23 wickets in the five-Test match series in India, he got only 10 wickets in the five-Test match series in England against India. Adil Rashid played his last Test match against West Indies on 23 January 2019 where he did not get any wickets in both innings of the Test, after which Adil Rashid has not played any Test match to date.

Adil Rashid T20I Career

Along with ODIs, the T20 format has also proved to be a successful format for Adil Rashid. He started his international career with the 2009 ICC T20 World Cup where he made his T20 debut against the Netherlands on 5 June 2009 and was able to take only one wicket in his debut match. Adil Rashid, who started his international career directly from the T20 World Cup, had to wait for the next 5 years to return to the international level in this format after playing one T20 match in the T20 series against South Africa in 2009. Adil Rashid made his comeback in this format against New Zealand in 2015 where he took only one wicket in this match.

Due to the lack of spinners in the England team, Adil Rashid remained continuously associated with the England T20 team and gradually he started leaving his mark in this format as well.

In the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, Rashid took 9 wickets in 6 matches at an economy of 6.54. Along with this, he took four wickets for just two runs in 2.2 against West Indies, which is the most economical bowling spell in the history of the T20 World Cup, according to ESPN Cricinfo. Adil Rashid was also a part of the England team in the 2022 T20 World Cup victory, where he took four wickets in 6 matches at an economy of 6.113.

In the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, Adil Rashid once again performed brilliantly for England, taking 10 wickets in eight matches, in which once again he took four wickets for just 11 runs in four overs against Oman.

Adil Rashid Family

Rashid, born on February 17, 1988, in Bradford, West Yorkshire, comes from a Pakistani background. His family is part of the Mirpuri community and originated from Mirpur in Kashmir. They moved to England in 1967. Rashid's heritage is similar to that of his England teammate Moeen Ali, who also has Mirpuri roots.

Cricket runs in Rashid's family, with his brothers, Haroon and Amar, also being involved in the sport. Rashid has carved out a successful cricket career, representing England internationally.