Vishakha Bhardwaj
Gujarat Titans’ star spinner Rashid Khan expressed his dissatisfaction
with his wicket tally in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL)
season but emphasized his contentment with playing pivotal roles
contributing to his team’s victories.
Rashid’s performance this season has been below par compared to his
usual standards. In six matches, he has secured six wickets with an
economy rate of 7.96 and an average of 31.83. Struggling to replicate
his typical dominance, Rashid remained wicketless in the opening match
against the Mumbai Indians. Despite taking two wickets against the
Chennai Super Kings, he conceded 49 runs, the most by any GT bowler in
the match. However, he managed to secure a wicket in each of the
subsequent four matches.
Reflecting on his challenges this season, Rashid attributed his
initial struggles to his return from surgery but expressed
satisfaction with his recent performances. He acknowledged the
importance of playing supportive roles for the team’s success and
pledged to enhance his wicket-taking contributions in the remaining
eight matches.
Under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, GT reached two consecutive IPL
finals and clinched the title in their debut season. Following
Hardik’s departure to the Mumbai Indians, Shubman Gill assumed the
captaincy role. Rashid praised Gill’s leadership and commitment to
delivering his best both as a batsman and a captain, highlighting his
positive influence on team performance.
Despite being in the sixth position with six points and a negative net
run rate of 0.637, Rashid expressed confidence in the team’s overall
performance, emphasizing their resilience and commendable cricket
throughout the season.
GT’s next challenge awaits against the Delhi Capitals at the Narendra
Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
