Rashid Khan Reveals Favourite World Cup Memory Ft. MS Dhoni

OneCricket

image-lnbp897gRashid Khan alongside MS Dhoni in IPL (x.com)

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Afghanistan spin king Rashid Khan is looking forward to the 2023 edition of the World Cup in India. Leading white-ball spinner and one of the finest contemporary limited-over cricketers, Khan holds pivotal importance for the giant-killer Afghans, who will be among the dark horse rivals at the quadrennial event. 

While the World Cup glory seems far-fetched for the emerging Asian team, their indomitable wrist-spinner is aware the upcoming competition offers them a great opportunity to build on their gains and continue to showcase their abilities and promise on the global stage. 

Rashid and the rest would be determined to make amends for the disappointing 2019 campaign in England, where they missed out on victories in multiple close encounters. New entrants to the ICC full-members group back then, Afghanistan failed to beat Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India despite being in a strong position to pull off three memorable upsets and ultimately finished with no wins in their nine league matches. 

It would've been a cause of great disappointment within the camp, especially for Rashid, who, however, recalls the 2019 edition of the game's biggest spectacle as his "favourite" World Cup memory. Despite an unsatisfying individual campaign, Rashid has fond memories from one of the marquee games played by his team. 

That game came against world superstars India in Southampton where Rashid dismissed one of his cricketing idols and renowned legend MS Dhoni in a thrilling end-over face-off between the two giants. 

Rashid outsmarted the shrewdest cricketer on the planet with a ball that initially shaped up to come into the right-hander but eventually dipped on an advancing Dhoni and turned away sharply for a stumping. Dhoni, who was intent on a maximum batting on 28 off 51 at the time, failed to identify Rashid's prime asset and mystery ball from the back of the palm.



In a clip shared by the International Cricket Council (ICC), Rashid deemed that moment as his favourite World Cup memory and said dismissing an esteemed figure such as Dhoni gave him immense "positive energy for the rest of the competition". 

"To get Mahi bhai's wicket," Rashid said. "I think that gave me lots of relief and positive energy (because) in the same over we missed that run-out (off Kedar Jadhav). That was the biggest mistake, it looked so silly. And I should've gone by myself to throw a bit better. But to get his (Dhoni's) wicket, I think that gave me lots of positive energy for the rest of the competition."