After having back surgery in 2023, Rashid Khan feels he has now found his rhythm again.
Rashid, an unquestionably superb player in the shortest format, had a terrible season last year when he only claimed 9 wickets for the Gujarat Titans in 15 games. This came after a similarly disappointing 2024 campaign in which he had trouble finding rhythm following the surgery.
He also had to battle demons in his thoughts. What if he pushes it too hard and re-injures his back? is a continual worry.
Rashid made a big impression on Wednesday night by playing exceptionally well against the Delhi Capitals. He grabbed three crucial wickets of opposition captain Axar Patel, Sameer Rizvi, and Nitish Rana, challenging edges on both sides and bringing his team back into the match, which it ultimately won by a single run.
Rashid, who finished with respectable figures of 3/17 in four overs in a game where both teams surpassed the 200-run threshold, was most satisfied with the googly to DC’s in-form batsman Rizvi.
Following the one-run victory over the Delhi Capitals, Rashid was naturally questioned by the media about the disappointing previous season and the efforts he made to improve.
“Yaad mat dilao yaar, bohot bura season tha (2025) (Please don’t remind of it, it was a very bad season). But if you have a bad season, it doesn’t mean you are gone…It’s just about your line and length,” PTI quoted Rashid as saying after his team’s one-run win.
“I feel like that’s something which I missed it last year. And this year I was just focusing on not to think a lot,” he admitted.
“…it’s a fresh year and I gave myself a couple of months after the last IPL, focused on my fitness. I felt like I was struggling a little bit with my back after surgery. And I think when I had three good months, I had a good The Hundred in UK.
“But more importantly, I try my best to just work on my fitness and work on my core. That does allow my body to bowl with the full rhythm,” added Rashid.
The superstar from Afghanistan doesn’t think it’s necessary to add many variations. He thinks the leg break, the flipper, and the googly are sufficient to keep the hitters guessing when bowled correctly.
“Bhai, kya badaoege aur (What more can you add)? I bowl consistently, either I bowl left spin, wrong one, flipper. But hitting the right areas, that’s challenging for me. And every day I’m trying my best to improve and do better,” said the all-rounder.
