Ish Sodhi Praises Rishad Hossain’s Leg-Spin Prowess

Rishad Hossain has emerged as one of the most discussed figures in Bangladeshi cricket, garnering consistent praise for his performances. Recently, New Zealand’s veteran leg-spinner, Ish Sodhi, shared his admiration for the young bowler. Sodhi, who has represented New Zealand across all three formats for over a decade, spoke highly of Rishad during a press conference held at the Bir Shrestha Shahid Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chittagong, ahead of the upcoming T20I series.

Unique Physical and Technical Attributes

A significant factor behind Rishad’s effectiveness is his height, standing at 6 feet 2 inches. Sodhi highlighted that Rishad’s stature allows him to adopt a more traditional leg-spin approach compared to many Asian counterparts.

“Generally, Asian leg-spinners tend to release the ball from a lower point and bowl flatter. However, he is a conventional bowler; he can put force on the ball and extract bounce. To be honest, a bowler of this mould has not been seen in this region for a long time,” Sodhi remarked.

Sodhi further cited Rishad’s success in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) as evidence of his versatility. During his stint in the BBL, Rishad was the joint-highest wicket-taker among spinners, securing 15 dismissals.

Aspirations for Test Cricket

Although Rishad made his international debut in 2023 and has become a regular in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and T20 Internationals (T20Is), he is yet to make his debut in Test cricket. Sodhi, who has maintained contact with Rishad via Instagram and discussed bowling during the previous ODI series, expressed a strong desire to see him in the longest format of the game. He noted that high-quality leg-spin is becoming increasingly rare in Test cricket and believes Rishad possesses the necessary skill set to succeed.

Technical Refinement under Mushtaq Ahmed

Despite the accolades, Rishad remains focused on self-improvement. He has been working closely with Bangladesh’s spin bowling coach, the legendary Pakistani leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed. Following Sodhi’s session, Mushtaq explained the specific areas they are addressing:

• Variations: Enhancing his repertoire of deliveries.

• Crease Usage: Learning how to use different angles and distances from the stumps.

• The Googly: Refining the disguise and accuracy of his wrong-un.

• Tactics: Strategies for bowling to right-handed batsmen.

Addressing Rishad’s absence from the final ODI of the recent series, Mushtaq clarified that it was not a “dropping” but a tactical rotation to provide “game time” to other spinners, ensuring depth in the squad.

Key Player Profile and Series Schedule

The three-match T20I series between Bangladesh and New Zealand is scheduled to commence this coming Monday. Bangladesh enters the series with momentum, having secured the ODI series 2-1.

T20I Series Itinerary:

• 1st T20I: Monday, Bir Shrestha Shahid Matiur Rahman Stadium, Chittagong.

• 2nd T20I: 29 April, Chittagong.

• 3rd T20I: 2 May, Dhaka.