Took me 1-2 hours to reply: Rashid Khan reveals reaction after reading Sachin Tendulkar's 'best in world' tweet

Going into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 final, all eyes were on one man. Not Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but Sunrisers Hyderabad leg-spinner Rashid Khan. The Afghan was heading into the mega clash after single-handedly guiding SRH past Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 2. Everyone knew that the youngster's performance in the final could decide the outcome.

Although SRH failed to cross the line in the final, the 11th edition of the IPL will surely be remembered for Rashid's brilliance. Such was the 19-year-old's impact that none other than Sachin Tendulkar was compelled to declare him the best T20 spinner in the world.

After the second Qualifier, the Master Blaster took to Twitter and wrote this: "Always felt @rashidkhan_19 was a good spinner but now I wouldn’t hesitate in saying he is the best spinner in the world in this format. Mind you, he’s got some batting skills as well. Great guy."

Here's his tweet

Always felt @rashidkhan_19 was a good spinner but now I wouldn’t hesitate in saying he is the best spinner in the world in this format. Mind you, he’s got some batting skills as well. Great guy.

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) May 25, 2018

Sachin could never have imagined the impact his tweet had on Rashid, or on the people of Afghanistan for that matter. "When I got into the bus, a friend sent me a screenshot of the tweet and I was shocked to see it. I was thinking for like 1-2 hours before I could eventually reply. I really didn’t know what to write, but finally I replied,” Rashid was quoted as saying by Times of India. "The whole of Afghanistan seemed to have seen that tweet. Tendulkar is very, very famous there and everyone was surprised that he had such high praise for me. Statements like these motivate young players."

Rashid didn't win any major award in the grand prize distribution ceremony at the end of IPL 11. He finished tied second with team-mate Siddarth Kaul in the wicket-takers list. But it isn't about the prizes or number of wickets he got, it's who he dismissed that matters. It's about how he trapped the biggest names in the game and the effect those wickets had on the contest. Rashid admits that the wickets of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and MS Dhoni - all falling to the leggie's vicious googly - are the best of his career. Knowing how good the trio is at playing spin bowling, the youngster says the dismissals were 'very satisfying'.

After his exploits in the IPL, Rashid's focus has now shifted on his country's much-awaited Test debut. Afghanistan play India in a one-off Test in Bengaluru next month, and the importance of the occasion is not lost on Rashid. "It’s a big match for us as playing Tests is a dream for every cricket-playing nation. All of us who are selected for that match will consider ourselves lucky. After all, we will be making history. And, it doesn’t get bigger than the fact that we will be playing India in India," he said.

Rashid's impressive run for his country and in T20 cricket around the world has made him a national hero. He admits he's probably the most popular figure in Afghanistan after the President.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly recently told  a Bengali daily that Rashid could be a crucial factor in the India-Afghnaistan Test. "He's a really good spinner. In fact, when Indian play Afghanistan in the Test match at home they will have a problem in deciding on the kind of pitch they would like to play on. Traditionally, Indians tend to prepare turners but with Afghanistan having Rashid and Mujeeb Ur Rahman it could prove to be a dangerous ploy," said Dada.

Well, only time will tell whether Rashid will guide his country to a historic triumph in Bengaluru. It's safe, however, to say that world cricket is witnessing the rise of a superstar.