In IPL 2026, the match between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium turned into a batting extravaganza, with a combined total of 419 runs scored. Delhi Capitals' spinners struggled against the aggressive hitting of Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler, and Washington Sundar, conceding 97 runs in eight overs. However, Rashid Khan of Gujarat Titans proved to be the turning point, taking 3 wickets in four overs with an economy rate of 4.25, leading his team to victory.
The turning point came during the powerplay, when Rashid dismissed KL Rahul with a sharp leg-break. Later, Nitish Rana was dismissed by Rashid after miscuing a googly. Rashid's three wickets all came from googly deliveries. His ability to relentlessly attack the stumps and deny batters space was a key factor.
Rashid's performance was even more impressive given his recent struggles, with only 10 and 9 wickets in the previous two seasons. He had undergone a back surgery after the 2023 World Cup, which sidelined him until early 2024.
"I was told to get a back surgery after IPL 2023, but after that season, the doctor told me, 'You need a surgery, you can't just keep playing with that.' But then, we had the 2023 ODI World Cup and I told him ‘I wanna play this World Cup.’"
"I think I pushed myself a lot in that World Cup and after that, it was really bad - even I was not able to walk after the tournament. But that’s where I had the surgery and after the surgery, I was very, very careful with my back,” Rashid later said in the post-match press conference.
Although the surgery repaired the structural damage, Rashid's pace and length were affected. "That affected my bowling action, the release and everything. So, I was trying to be careful, but with that, I missed a little bit of my rhythm. I was trying to bowl slow for 2-3-4 months, where I was not in that shape, like, before the surgery."
After a disappointing 2025 season, Rashid focused on fitness. "After having a bad season (in 2025) I thought, 'okay, what's wrong now? Where I'm, what's the thing I'm missing? I felt like it was the whole rhythm, from starting to the finishing. What it was not allowing me was that there was a bit of pain in the back still. I was scared of, like, what's gonna happen if I push it again?”
Giving himself time off after IPL 2025 to solely work on his fitness came as a big blessing for Rashid. “So, I worked on my core and tried my best to make it as strong as possible and then go on with full energy. When I had a couple of three good months off, I had a good hundred competition in the UK."
“So since that, things got started again. But more importantly, I try my best to just work on my fitness. That's something which I can improve and that allows my body to bowl with full rhythm.”
The data from Wednesday’s game highlights how Rashid was at his best self - of the 24 balls Rashid bowled, 11 landed on a good length – yielding him two wickets at an economy of just 2.18. Even when he dropped short, it was more pitched on the back-of-the-length area. Where once Rashid may have loaded up with variations, he stuck to his basics and dished out a masterclass in it.
“Sometimes you think far ahead of the things which are not going to happen soon. If you're batting, you think about your bowling and that's something which is like you're putting an extra pressure on yourself already. For me, it's like there will be a time when you get a good wicket or a bad wicket to bowl on, and a flat wicket.
“But the more important thing is, when you're conceding runs on those wickets, you have to see your line and length. That's something which is more important than anything else you think about it. I feel, in the last two games, I think I bowled well, but where I conceded runs, it was just, like, the length I have missed. I shouldn't really think about, like, okay, what's the result, but the result is like if I hit the right area, the right thing is going to happen.
“If I bowl badly, anybody can hit me. So I feel as a bowler, you should think about, like, okay, what's the toughest ball I can bowl on this wicket to make it harder for the batter? If you're making the job easier for the batter where he wants, then I don't think so on these wickets and boundaries, there’s any good enough total to defend. So I feel it's more important that you have the control over where you want to bowl,” he elaborated.
The scorecard will draw the fans' eyes to the fifties made by batters from both teams. But those who watched the game closely know whose four overs really set up GT's first win of IPL 2026. On a night built for a batting spectacle, the difference between winning and losing was, in the end, the distance between everyone else and Rashid sticking to his basics.
