Few people have experienced the boom in cricket quite like Rashid Khan. Since making his debut for his national side nine years ago, the 26-year-old Afghan spin bowler has played in professional leagues in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, England, South Africa, Australia, the Caribbean, the UAE, the US and in his home country.
Khan is just one beneficiary of a wave of start-up cricket tournaments around the world, from Australia’s Big Bash League to Major League Cricket in the US, all spurred by the soaring success of the Indian Premier League (IPL), now one of the richest contests in sport.
The IPL’s ascent, fuelled by India’s rapid economic growth and support from the Modi government, has cemented the country as the most dominant force in a sport that traces back to the villages of 16th-century England.