Will the real Rashid Khan please stand up?

In the eyes of many, Rashid Khan was the best Twenty20 spinner in the world.

- Ashish Magotra

NEW DELHI: He would consistently deliver wickets at a great economy rate regardless of the conditions or the opposition.

Tactically, he always seemed to be a step ahead of the batters but more importantly, his bowling had a zip to it; a zip that very often made him unplayable.

His brand of leg-spin became the template for many younger bowlers to follow — flat, fast and with the odd googly thrown in. And for a while, it looked like teams preferred playing out his overs rather than giving him wickets. That is how good he was — and we are speaking in the past tense because things aren't exactly going to plan this season for the 26-year-old from Afghanistan.

Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Khan was carted for 54 runs in four wicket-less overs. Anyone can have the odd poor game but over the last three years, Khan's returns haven't been up to expectations.