Who Is Sheikh Rashid? Dhoni Backs 20-Year-Old Over Devon Conway

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) picked Rashid in the 2023 IPL auction, but he didn't feature in any matches that season.

Sheikh Rashid hails from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh.

Source : PTI

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) is taking place at the Ekana Stadium. MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl first, with Rishabh Pant leading the Lucknow side.

In a bid to turn around their inconsistent run this season, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made some bold changes to their lineup. Devon Conway and R. Ashwin were dropped from the playing XI, and 20-year-old Sheikh Rashid was handed his long-awaited IPL debut - signaling Dhoni's belief in fresh, young talent.

Who is Sheikh Rashid?

Sheikh Rashid hails from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. He began his cricket journey in Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad, representing Sportive Cricket Club in the HCA League. His big breakthrough came in 2022 when he was selected for India's Under-19 team and named vice-captain for the U-19 World Cup.

Despite missing a portion of the tournament due to COVID-19, Rashid made a major impact - scoring 201 runs in just four matches. He played two key innings: a 94-run knock in the semi-final and a crucial half-century in the final, helping India lift the U-19 World Cup.

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In total, he scored 297 runs in six innings at an impressive average of 59.40, including three fifties.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) picked Rashid in the 2023 IPL auction, but he didn't feature in any matches that season. He continued to perform well in domestic tournaments, especially the Andhra Premier League in 2024. Ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) retained their faith in him and bought him for Rs 30 lakh in the mega auction - finally giving him a chance to showcase his talent on the big stage.

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