“We will be very keen to have here again”: Adelaide Strikers adamant on retaining Rashid Khan in BBL 2022-23 draft

Adelaide Strikers can use the retention pick in order to pick Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan in BBL 2022-22 draft.

The first-ever international player’s draft of the BBL is less than a week away, and the teams are busy with their planning. Rashid Khan will be one of the hot picks in the draft as he is one of the best T20 players. It is interesting that Rashid has played all his BBL games for Adelaide Strikers.

The availability of Rashid has always been an issue for the Strikers as he mostly misses the playoffs stages due to international duties. In this season, he will only be available for the first half of the tournament as he will represent the MI Cape Town in CSA T20 League.

Adelaide Strikers aims to retain Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan is a part of the 12 players in the platinum category for the upcoming BBL International draft. Adelaide Strikers can use their retention right on Rashid, and it looks like they are also planning to do the same. Jarrod Harkness, performance analyst of Adelaide Strikers has hinted at the same.

Harkness acknowledges that most of the players in the platinum category will be available only for half of the tournament as they will be heading to either ILT20 League or the CSA T20 League. He said that Rashid is one of the best players in the world, and he will be surprised to see him play for any other team in the competition.

Rashid Khan has bowled his last ball of #BBL10 😢

Don’t they love him here in Adelaide! pic.twitter.com/5vE0LCMU7J

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 11, 2021

“Most of the players that are in that platinum range are only available for eight or nine games because they’re off to either South Africa or the UAE,” Harkness said.

“And as we’ve seen over many years, Rashid’s one of the best players, if not the best player in the world.”

“So given those other high-quality players are only here for half the tournament, the same as Rash, he’s definitely someone that we would be very keen to have here again.”

Rashid has been a match-winner for Adelaide Strikers, and he has scalped 92 BBL wickets in 61 matches at an excellent economy of 6.44.