Kiwi leg-spinner Sodhi eulogises Rishad
Rishad Hossain is one of the most talked-about names in Bangladesh cricket right now. Someone praising him has become a regular phenomenon.
And when that praise comes from a fellow leg-spinner, it carries even more weight. New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi is no exception.
Sodhi plays all three formats for New Zealand. Having been in international cricket for more than a decade, he is also impressed by Rishad—one reason being the Bangladeshi leg-spinner’s height of 6 feet 2 inches.
Speaking at a press conference today, Saturday at Bir Sreshtho Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram ahead of the T20 series, Sodhi said in his own words, “The way he bowled so well in the Big Bash in Australia shows how versatile a leg-spinner he is.”
Sodhi went on to explain that Asian leg-spinners usually tend to release the ball from a lower trajectory (because of height) and bowl flatter. But he is quite a traditional bowler; who can generate bounce by putting force on the ball.
“To be honest, it’s been a long time since cricket in this region has seen this type of bowler.”
Rishad, who debuted in 2023, made an impact in his very first year in international cricket. In the Big Bash as well, he jointly took the highest number of wickets among spinners with 15. However, at the international level, he has so far played only ODIs and T20Is.
Although he has played first-class cricket, Rishad is yet to appear in Tests. Sodhi, who has been in touch with him on Instagram and also spoke with him during the Bangladesh–New Zealand ODI series, expressed his interest in seeing him in Tests: “I think he has a bright future ahead, and hopefully he will earn a place in Test cricket as well. Honestly, it would be great to see leg-spin in Test cricket again—it’s quite rare these days, isn’t it? But he definitely has the skills.”
Despite all the praise, Rishad continues to work on improving his game. In recent days, he has been seen training with spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed. After Sodhi, Mushtaq also addressed the press and explained the focus of their work.
The former Pakistan leg-spinner said, “We are working on different variations—how to use the crease more effectively, and also on his googly. His googly needs a bit more improvement. Things like which line to bowl to right-handed batters, how to come closer to the stumps or go wider—those aspects.”
Rishad played the first two matches of the ODI series but was left out of the XI in the final match. Mushtaq insists that he has not been dropped; rather, it is part of his development process. In his words, “We just tried to become stronger in the spin department. If anything, it’s so that other spinners get some game time as well.”
Bangladesh will face New Zealand in the first match of the three-match T20 series next Monday at Bir Sreshtho Matiur Rahman Stadium. The second match will be held in Chattogram on 29 April, and the third in Dhaka on 2 May. Bangladesh won the ODI series 2–1 prior to this.