Former Indian spinner Sarandeep Singh said of Rashid Khan’s lacklustre performances, “There’s no surprise element anymore.”

Sarandeep Singh, a former off-spinner who represented India from 2000 to 2002, praised Noor Ahmad for his outstanding play, particularly in the current Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The Afghanistan spinner, who currently holds the IPL Purple Cap, has taken 12 wickets for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at an average of 14.25 in seven games.

Noor is a complete package who can turn the ball both ways, according to Sarandeep. He was also supported by the former BCCI selector to spearhead Afghanistan’s spin attack in the days ahead.

“Noor is a complete package; he deceives batters in the air, flights the ball, and turns it both ways.” He is no longer merely a backup. India Today cited Sarandeep as adding, “He has the potential to lead the spin charge for Afghanistan.”

In CSK’s most recent match against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Noor gave up just 13 runs in his four overs. The Men in Yellow ended a five-match losing slide thanks in large part to the left-arm spinner’s outstanding bowling effort. The renowned CSK captain, MS Dhoni, who hit an undefeated 26 off 11 balls, claimed after the game that Noor ought to have won Player of the Match instead of him.

Batters has discovered him: Sarandeep Singh

Rashid Khan‘s poor recent IPL performances were also examined by Sarandeep. The former claimed that the opposition batsmen have begun to select Afghanistan’s T20 captain, who no longer offers anything fresh. The 45-year-old added that Rashid bowls his googly at a constant pace, which makes it simpler for the batters to play against him.

“Bats have figured Rashid out, which is why he hasn’t performed well in the past two seasons. Sarandeep stated, “There is no longer any element of surprise; it’s all googlies and at the same pace.”

Rashid has only claimed four wickets for the Gujarat Titans in six IPL 2025 games at an average of 53.75 and an economy rate of 9.77.