Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) mentor VVS Laxman has heaped praise on Afghanistan's Rashid Khan, saying the leg-spinner is already a match-winner and an impact player.
Rashid became the only second Afghan player, after former national skipper Mohammad Nabi, to be picked in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs. 4 crores at the IPL auction held in Bengaluru last month.
In the seven matches played for the franchise, the leg-spinner has taken eight wickets and has thus garnered praise from all.
"We are very pleased with the way Rashid has performed so far. The whole purpose of taking him in the auction was the belief that he is a match winner and an impact bowler. He is a bowler who not only restricts the flow of runs but also takes wickets," Laxman told ANI in an exclusive conversation.
Rashid's accuracy and his hard-to-decipher googly provide him the cutting edge so vital for this batsmen-dominated event.
And the great Indian batsman believes that the player from the war-torn country would just blossom and become a much better bowler as the time passes by.
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"Rashid is inexperienced but this is his first IPL and I believe the more and more IPLs he will play, the more and more matches he will play, he will just blossom and become a much better bowler and he is already a match-winner," Laxman said.
In 26 ODIs he had player for Afghanistan, the leg-spinner has 53 wickets at an astonishing average of 16.69 while in 24 T20Is, he has 40 wickets at an average of 14.4.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) mentor also asserted that the franchise has had a very good start to this season of the IPL and all they are looking for is to improve with each passing game.
"We had a very good start to this IPL. We won four out of the six games. But I believe we just want to improve with each and every match and continue the momentum," he said.
"I think it's very important to select the best XI which can take on the opposition and win the franchise the match. And I am a firm believer that you have to give enough security to each and every individual because you don't want to create that insecurity in the team environment."
"Too much chopping and changing is never helpful. But you have to pick players whom you can think can win the match for the team," he added.