The Rashid Khan Warning: How Over-Exposure Is Destroying A T20 Superstar

Probuddha Bhattacharjee

Rashid Khan after being hit by Mitchell Marsh [Source: AP Photos]Rashid Khan after being hit by Mitchell Marsh [Source: AP Photos]

Rashid Khan, once considered the undisputed king of the T20 format if facing an alarming reality in IPL 2025. The highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket with 642 victims under his belt before the ongoing GT vs LSG match is experiencing a dramatic decline. This gradual fall of the spin wizard can be attributed to his relentless participation in multiple global leagues. The Afghan legend's pursuit of lucrative contracts is leading to over-exposure and the numbers around it tell a very concerning story.

Rashid Khan's IPL Decline: A Statistical Reality

Rashid Khan's IPL journey prefectly represents the downward spiral of the bowler due to over-exposure. Statistically his recent performances have a more than concerning variance from his peak years - 

Period
Matches
Wickets
Average
Strike Rate
2017-2021 769321.2718.48
2022-2023334621.317.25
2024-2025241843.5529.3

The numbers show that his wicket taking ability has decreased dramatically. At his peak, Rashid used to pick up 1.30 wickets  per match, this has recently gone down to 0.73 - a straight dip of 44%. His bowling average has also nearly doubled showing the concering decrease in his efficiency as a bowler. 

Global T20 Overexposure: The Real Reason

As Rashid Khan rose in the T20 circuit as one of the most efficient bowlers, he began drawing lucrative contracts from around the world. 

The Afghan bowler has picked up 410 wickets in 310 matches across different T20 franchise leagues. Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine are the onluy bowlers who have more wickets than him, however both of them have played more than 400 matches. 

Rashid Khan also became the only bowler to pick up 50 or more wickets in T20s for eight consecutive years from 2017 to 2024. No other bowler has done it more than three times in a row. 

How The Mystery Of Rashid Dissolved

The most alarming is the death over economy rate of the bowler, which has ballooned to 12.54 in 2024 from 8.66 in 2023. This has gradually changed him to a liability in the crucial stages of a game. The IPL 2025 numbers are also very disheartening, where he averages over 50. 

The data reveals another concerning pattern - At his peak, Rashid Khan used to get hit for a six once in every 43 deliveries. This came down to 15 in 2023 and 13 in 2024. In 2025, it has gone below eight, showing that from being a feared bowler, Rashid has become the wealkink. 

Conclusion

The stats pain a clear picture for the cricket fans, viewers and statisticians. Rashid Khan, who was once a reverred bowler is no longer the match winner. Teams are now targetting him rather than playing him out cautiously. His career now remains as a case study of a mystery spinner who has lost his enigma due to constant exposure across multiple franchise leagues. 

Unless, Rashid Khan fails to reinvent himself or recapture the deception in his bowling that made him lethal, he risks continuing this downward trajectory. The journey of the Afghan spinner could be a cautionary tale of how financial temptation and over exposure can irreversibly damage the greatest talents in modern cricket.