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Published 11:52 IST, March 16th 2020

PSL 2020 all-rounder Shadab Khan humbly rubbishes Steve Smith comparisons

PSL 2020: Shadab Khan, who started as a leg-spinner contributed massively with his bat in PSL 2020 for Islamabad United which drew comparisons with Steve Smith.

Reported by: Jatin Malu
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Shadab Khan captained Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2020). His team failed to make it to the playoffs and ended at the last position with 3 wins and 6 losses. Islamabad United was not consistent throughout the tournament as their players failed to grab the opportunities.

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But one player who stood out for Islamabad United was their skipper Shadab Khan, who shone throughout the tournament. His rise as a proper batsman was extremely notable. Shadab Khan amassed a significant 263 runs at an average of 37.57 with three half-centuries to his name. He ended as one of the leading run-scorers of the T20 league. Even with the ball, he features in the top ten list, having picked up 8 scalps in 9 games.

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Shadab Khan, who started as a leg-spinner, contributed massively with his bat in PSL 2020 for Islamabad United, which drew comparisons with Steve Smith. The latter began his career in 2010 as a wrist-spinner, potentially as a replacement of Shane Warne before transforming into one of the best batsmen of the modern generation. And because of his tremendous performances, Shadab Khan is receiving a lot of applause from the cricketing community.

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PSL 2020: Shadab Khan responds to Steve Smith comparisons

Shadab Khan said that it was too early for him to be compared to the Australian legend Steve Smith and added that he was nowhere near him. The 21-year old also said that he would stay as a bowling all-rounder despite anything and that wickets couldn’t come easily for him in the PSL 2020 since the decks aren’t conducive to spin-bowling.

In the PSL, Shadab promoted himself up the order and even went on to bat at No.3 on instances. But he doesn’t wish to ponder over his batting position in the national team, saying that the coach and captain would be taking a call on it.

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IMAGE COURTESY: SHADAB KHAN INSTAGRAM

11:52 IST, March 16th 2020