Adil Rashid already has a well-decorated cricket career. In England colours, he won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019, and he added the T20 World Cup to his list of honours in 2022.
He has been England’s premier white-ball spin bowler for several years now. But even so, it still feels like he has underachieved in his career given his undoubted ability. Two areas of underachievement that jump out are Test cricket and franchise cricket, particularly the IPL.
A good time to perform in India
In this year’s ICC Cricket World Cup, Rashid has the chance to show the IPL what they’ve been missing. England are 11/4 second favourites. India is hosting the competition and, in the latest betting, they are the 2/1 favourites with the bookmakers to win outright. When betting on sports like cricket, it’s important to consider the hosts as they have an advantage with home conditions, as India does this time. A free bet calculator can also help understand the odds of winning competitions like the Cricket World Cup. Especially if an outright winner bet is combined with that of a top wicket-taker, or top run scorer.
In the case of Adil Rashid, he will be looking to make an impact on the top wicket-takers chart. He may have two ICC winner medals but it’s fair to say that, on a personal level, Rashid didn’t make a major impact in either competition.
In the 2019 World Cup, he only took 11 wickets in his 11 matches. That must have been disappointing but the competition that year was dominated by pace bowlers, and this year may be different.
Then in the 2022 T20 World Cup, Rashid didn’t fare much better. In his six matches, he picked up just four wickets. Again, it wasn’t a competition dominated by spin.
Held in Australia, the wickets seemed to suit seam bowlers who could vary their pace although he had a very good day in the final, when it really counted.
Little recognition from the IPL and in Test cricket
In his long distinguished career, Rashid has only had two stints in the IPL. In 2021, he was part of the Punjab Kings squad that finished sixth in the table. And then in 2023, he was picked up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad but had limited impact in what was a struggling side.
He has also been largely overlooked by the England Test team. He has played just 19 Test matches for England, with best figures of 5/49. When he did get into the playing eleven, he was often underused, and it always felt that he never had the full confidence of his Test captains.
A crucial member of England's white-ball teams
His importance to the current England white-ball teams isn't underestimated. Rashid’s figures at ICC competitions may not always make for great reading, but current England captain Jos Buttler wouldn't be without him. Buttler knows that batters fear Rashid, and he also understands that his bowling figures don’t always do him justice, as batters often don’t take risks against him out of fear.
It's not a coincidence that Adil Rashid has won two World Cups. It’s because he’s a vital cog in the England wheel. Maybe this year in India it might just be his time to shine and show the rest of the world what England already knows.
Migrants in a dinghy crossing the English Channel
Sunder Katwala