Star cricketer Rashid Khan starred in Gujarat Titans’ win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Match 42 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday, April 30. In his four overs, Rashid gave only 19 runs, containing the flow of runs from his end. More importantly, the spinner also accounted for the wickets of Devdutt Padikkal and Tim David, as RCB were all out for 155.
Rashid was unbeaten on 7 off 6 as GT successfully chased down 156 in the last over, with four wickets to spare. Reflecting on his performance in the comprehensive victory for GT, the seasoned campaigner has expressed that he was able to hit the ball on the correct line and lengths. He says he has learnt from his bad spells previously and put those learnings into perspective into effect in Ahmedabad against RCB.
“The most important thing for me was to bowl in the right areas. It was important for the team that I maintained a good economy, especially in the middle overs. Whenever I conceded runs, it was because I had bowled bad balls. So, that was on my mind. If I could minimise the percentage of those as much as possible, it would benefit me. My focus was to consistently hit the 5 to 5.5-metre length, which really helped me,” Rashid said via JioStar.
Rashid reflects on recuperating from back injury
Furthermore, the Afghanistani cricketer has also reflected on how he has come back from his injury woes. He has said how playing multi-day cricket took a toll on his back and how he overcame the woes by making a conscious call of leaving the Test format. The youngster believes that after the 2025 season, he underwent his rehabilitation and came back to action.
“It was a back injury, and, given the energy I bowl with in my action and run-up, I needed to work consistently on my fitness after that injury, which, to be honest, I did not do. My rehab did not go as well as it should have. I only had about two to two-and-a-half months to get back on the field, and, since those were Afghanistan matches, I had to play,” Rashid explained.
“The second big mistake I made was playing a Test match, where I bowled around 67 overs, after which I felt the injury again. So, after the IPL last year, I wanted to give myself and my body more time to recover properly, complete my rehab, and regain the energy and intensity that I bowl with. It is all going well now and, hopefully, it continues,” he concluded.
