Noor Ahmed of Gujarat Titans bowling during the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match between Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans in Jaipur on May 5, 2023. Photo Credit: AP
A Rashid Khan could be a handful for the batting line-up. Imagine facing left-hander Rashid from the other end.
Rajasthan Royals found it was not a particularly pleasant experience at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Friday night. Noor Ahmed, the 18-year-old left-arm wrist spinner from Afghanistan, is fast becoming one of the rising stars of the IPL this season.
He took two wickets for the Gujarat Titans in their crushing win against the Royals, proving to be a perfect foil for his more famous fellow countryman. He has taken 10 wickets in six matches so far.
Noor’s first game was against the Royals in Ahmedabad, coming in as an impact player. His first wicket was a big one – Sanju Samson, whom he mis-shot over long-off after hitting a four and a six.
Noor has since found a regular place in Titans XI, and has justified the management’s faith in him. The way he dismissed Devdutt Padikkal and brought down his off-stump in the last match; It was caught by Rashid a few overs ago. Getting Ashwin out was no different.
Noor would surely be pleased by this similarity: he only wanted to bowl like his hero. But Rashid and Titans assistant coach Ashish Kapoor told him to develop his own style.
No one would be happier than Ashish for Noor’s success. The former India off-spinner was the one who brought him into the Titans’ camp.
Ashish Nehra said, “I told (Titans coach) Ashish Nehra, pick whoever you want, but let me pick one person, that’s Noor.” “For me, it was Rashid Khan, the left-hander. If you want Rashid at any cost and you are getting another left-handed batsman, it can be a deadly combination.
Ashish had been tracking Noor’s progress since the days of junior cricket. “He played against a strong India U-19 team and was never scared,” he said. Because of him, we lost some matches or won by a small margin.
Noor has already played in franchise leagues elsewhere before realizing his IPL dream. “And he could be a better batsman than Rashid,” warned the proud coach.