Rashid Khan extends T20 Blast stay with Sussex

The 23-year-old has taken 26 wickets in 23 appearances in the competition since making his debut in 2018

Rashid Khan will return to Sussex for the 2022 T20 Blast.

The Afghanistan international is one of three overseas players in the Sharks squad for the white-ball competition, joining Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and Australia’s Travis Head.

Khan has represented Sussex in the T20 Blast since 2018, taking 26 wickets in 23 appearances to date. He was limited to just three matches in 2021, taking two wickets, but took 17 wickets with a miserly economy of 6.59 in his debut season with the county.

The 23-year-old leg-spinner is in high demand on the white-ball circuit, notching up appearances in the IPL, PSL, CPL, Big Bash, Mzansi Super League, Bangladesh Premier League and The Hundred, and is fourth-highest wicket-taker in T20 history, with 403 dismissals in 292 matches.

Equally destructive with the bat, Rashid’s career T20 strike rate of 143.97 increases to 179.31 in the Blast.

^{Rashid Khan bowling for Sussex in 2018 [Mike Hewitt/Getty Images]}

Commenting on continuing his stay at Sussex, Rashid said: "I have always enjoyed my time at Sussex and am more determined than ever to try and help bring the T20 Blast title back to Hove.

"The squad will look a little different this season with some key players having moved on but the youngsters coming though impressed me greatly in recent seasons and combined with some new faces I think it is a really exciting time to be a Sharks fan."

T20 head coach, James Kirtley, added: "It is hard to come up with something original to say about Rash. He’s the best in the business and we are truly lucky to have him. It is great to know we have developed a long-standing relationship with the best T20 spinner in the world and not to forget his dynamic batting which we witnessed against Yorkshire in last year’s quarter final.

"It will be amazing to have his services for the majority of the T20 Blast along with our two other overseas players. This puts us in an enviable position of being able to react to the ever-changing landscape of international cricket.

"Rash is an outstanding person and his positive effect on our environment was so obvious last summer. The immediate care and mentoring he showed Archie [Lenham] showed the real class of the person. For any Star Wars fans: 'Always two there are. No more. No less. A master and an apprentice.'

"I am so looking forward to seeing Rash back at Hove. I know he has unfinished business and is very keen to win the competition with Sussex."