India, Feb. 5 -- T20 cricket has always been Rashid Khan's preferred theatre of disruption. Since his debut nearly a decade ago, the Afghan leg-spinner has represented a quiet rebellion. In a format that thrives on capitalising on slip-ups, he didn't wait for mistakes, but instead, manufactured them.

He arrived early, much earlier than Afghanistan's fairytale narrative took flight, and bent the format around his will.

For a while, it felt like he was everywhere. Franchise leagues, bilateral series, global tournaments, you name it. Captains tossed him the ball not to contain damage but to arrest momentum, to make batters doubt their certainties, and pick up guaranteed wickets. In 111 T20I matches, he has picked up 187 wickets at an avera...