“He is very confident about his skills, his slower ones, back-of-the-hand deliveries and especially his yorkers. I think he supported Bhuvi and Hazlewood well. Again, it’s clear that whenever I see him, he has clarity about his role and what he has to do. I always tell my bowlers that if you have something, if you have a plan, go and execute it.”
For Rasikh, the goal is simply to continue the process, stay fit and keep doing the one thing he absolutely loves, marking his run-up and bowling for hours.
“When I have the ball in my hands, that is my happiest place. It has been a long season. I can’t wait to go home and meet my parents. I want to dedicate this trophy to my father, Abdul Salaam, who always encouraged me to pursue my love for the game. Abbu ne kabhi ye nahi kaha ki kyu waqt barbaad kar rahe ho (My father never told me that I was wasting my time playing cricket). Like a pillar, he stood by me through thick and thin,” said an emotional Rasikh.
India are set to play around 45 T20Is over the next two years and what the future holds for Rasikh remains unknown. But with his wicket-taking ability in the middle overs, he has certainly knocked on the doors of the national team. If he stays fit and continues doing what he loves, the blue jersey may not be far away for ‘Ashmuji’s sher’ (lion), a moniker he has earned from his peers.