Who is Shaik Rasheed? India`s U-19 World Cup star who made IPL debut for CSK

Young batter Shaik Rasheed officially joined the growing list of debutants for Chennai Super Kings as he stepped onto the field for the first time in the Indian Premier League during CSK`s clash against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium on Monday.

The promising right-hander from Andhra Pradesh was acquired by the Super Kings for INR 30 lakh in the IPL 2025 auction, and after two years of being part of the franchise’s setup, he finally got his maiden IPL cap.

#ShaikRasheed has arrived! 😍

Intent & finesse from the young debutant, #CSK are off to a flying start in the chase! 🔥

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— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 14, 2025

Rasheed has been a standout performer in domestic cricket. A key member of the Indian team that lifted the U-19 World Cup trophy in 2022, he has since cemented his place in the Andhra senior squad. In 19 first-class matches, Rasheed has amassed 1,204 runs at an impressive average of 46.04. His T20 credentials are equally solid, having scored 352 runs in 17 matches at an average of 29.33 and a strike rate of 127.07.

With senior opener Devon Conway unavailable for the match, CSK have placed their faith in Rasheed to add solidity to the top order. The decision to include the youngster aligns with the team’s intent to explore fresh energy as they look to reverse a poor run of form in the tournament.

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni, returning to lead the side due to Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury, explained the team’s strategy at the toss: “Well blessed, we get good support. Thank you all the fans. We want to bowl first, there`s chances of dew here. The wicket gets better. It`s important to set the right temperament. We haven`t been consistent with our batting. With the ball we have strong back strong. It`s important to have a positive mindset, play those big shots. It`s a matter of time. We have a couple of changes.”

On the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant expressed a similar preference to chase: “It`s just amazing. We would have bowled first. In Lucknow it`s slower in the first innings, gets better gradually. The only thing we talked about CSK is that we don`t want to give them an opening, just need to give our 100&#37. We want to go out there and play good cricket. Only one change – Marsh comes back in for Himmat Singh.”