Big banger Rashid Khan is once again Gujarat Titans’ font of inspiration when it matters the most and Rajasthan Royals also know exactly how dangerous he can be in the IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 match. With the spin bowlers lacking consistency in this tournament, Rashid Khan has been strong in every respect he is able to control the game, pick up wickets and turn it around in the middle overs.
The Afghanistan superstar who holds 19 wickets in just 15 innings and has an economy rate of 8.77 runs per over is coming to the battle of the knockout round with the Rajasthan Royals. Those figures are staggering given the IPL 2026 is a highly batshtastic tournament. Hard length players have been running it on the stocks this season and the majority have had the ability to go the distance as spinners. But, Rashid Khan is still continuing to establish himself as one of the most dangerous T20 bowler in world cricket.
Gujarat Titans first of all would be confident because of Rashid Khan having a solid track record against Rajasthan Royals.Gujarat Titans, on one hand, will have an advantage of having a reasonable record against the Rajasthan Royals batting while on the other hand, the Royals will likely be a bit anxious. He let go Vaiyip Sathru who was at the start of his career earlier this season in Ahmedabad after the boy was seen race away in the powerplay. The games had been raging on the field before Sooryavanshi hit Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada and Ashok Sharma at their stumps with impunity.
Its dismissal turned out to be an example of Rashid Khan’s great talent at strategy. He claimed he was playing over the wicket but luckily overtook the bigger leg side boundary bowler and dangled Sooryavanshi in front of a spin attack. The teenager attempted another big shot but only managed to find Glenn Phillips at deep midwicket. Rashid Khan seemed very happy about it, as it went as per their game plan.
That wicket could play another crucial role as the same pitch which was used in New Chandigarh Eliminator is expected to be utilized again for Qualifier 2. Once again, conditions will favour the spinners, who will have variation and control of course, that takes centre stage, setting up Rashid Khan.
But it isn’t the only time Sooryavanshi has found trouble against the Rajasthani batsman. Rashid Khan is the one who always created a mess for the middle order of Rajasthan. In the past he shook off influential names like Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Dubey in the meetings. He had something particularly interesting off the surface going, though, off all the players he sent home, it was Ferreira who pelted over his shoulder.
A good length delivery, dipped sharp and turned at outside edge of Ferreira before hitting the stumps. The batsman was in for the googly, but Rashid Khan’s legbreak amazed him. It was a reminder of the time that his variations are still among the finest in the game.Rashid Khan has come back from a low ebb in the IPL 2025 season has been one of the most talked-about stories this season.
| Bowler | Innings | Wickets | Economy Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rashid Khan | 15 | 17 | 8.60 |
| Noor Ahmad | 14 | 13 | 8.17 |
| Prasidh Krishna | 10 | 12 | 9.70 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 12 | 11 | 9.05 |
| Jason Holder | 9 | 11 | 7.76 |
He suffered significantly last year after suffering back surgery. His stride was affected and his performance in lengths was shaky and saw his runs lag, while he fell by the wayside.It seems it’s a whole new ball game this season. Rashid Khan is faster off the ball from behind the posts, more active with his movement and much better with his control.
Gujarat Titans assistant coach Parthiv Patel also gave credit to the hard work left by the spinner since he has recovered from injury.Patel appreciated Rashid Khan’s eagerness to “make an impact” when it matters most and highlighted his significance as a bowler for the Gujarat Titans. However, under pressure, Rashid Khan has not lived up to his promise in many of his games since joining the franchise and GT still have their most potent middle gold fielder in their camp.
| Season | Innings | Wickets | Economy Rate | Balls Per Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL 2025 | 15 | 9 | 9.34 | 5.41 |
| IPL 2026 | 15 | 19 | 8.77 | Improved |
In the end it would be Rashid Khan who could be the influence for Qualifier 2. Crashing batsmen are often produced by the youngsters of the Rajasthan Royals but as for knockouts, they’ll come in the hands of bowlers who can create pressure in the middle-order. That’s his thing—Rashid Khan.
India’s top spinner will prove to be a mainstay for the Gujarat Titans if they manage to qualify for an IPL final again. If the Rajasthan Royals want to maintain their best desire of winning the championship then they should first find the piece of the Rashid Khan puzzle.
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