NEW DELHI: Shaik Rasheed made a memorable entry into the Indian Premier League on Monday, becoming the youngest-ever opener for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The 20-year-old debuted against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Stadium, making his mark in the record books at just 20 years and 202 days.
Rasheed broke the previous record held by England’s Sam Curran, who opened for CSK in 2020 at 22 years and 132 days.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Showing little sign of nerves, Rasheed smashed 27 off 19 balls, laced with six boundaries, helping CSK to a brisk start while chasing 167 against LSG. He shared a 52-run opening stand with Rachin Ravindra (37 off 22), giving the struggling five-time champions a rare solid foundation.
His debut knock ended when he mistimed a short ball from Avesh Khan, offering a simple catch to Nicholas Pooran. It was only the third time in seven games this season that CSK crossed 50 in the powerplay.
Who is Shaik Rasheed?
Born in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, Rasheed is a promising top-order batter who has represented Andhra in domestic cricket.
Before his IPL debut, he had played 19 First-Class matches, scoring 1204 runs at an average of 37.62, alongside 12 List A and 17 T20 matches. He also has a strong pedigree at the youth level, having been a part of the India Under-19 setup.
With CSK battling form issues this season, Rasheed’s emergence offers a glimmer of hope and a fresh face for the future.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.
