Rashid Khan believes he has finally regained the rhythm that eluded him following his back surgery in 2023.

Rashid went through a horror last season when he took just nine wickets in 15 games for Gujarat Titans. This was after an equally underwhelming 2024 run, during which he struggled to find his rhythm following the surgery.

But with a standout performance on Wednesday night against Delhi Capitals, he made a loud statement.

He challenged edges on both sides and took three timely wickets of Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi and opposition skipper Axar Patel to bring his team back into the contest that it eventually won by a solitary run.

“... If you have a bad season, it doesn’t mean you are gone...It’s just about your line and length,” Rashid said after the win.

“...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 the 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,” he added.

ALSO READ | GT captain Shubman Gill fined Rs. 12 lakh for slow over-rate against DC

Rashid had pushed his body to the limit to play the 2023 ODI World Cup, ignoring the doctor’s advice. He struggled to even walk after the ICC event in India and eventually went under the knife. It is precisely for this reason that he was cautious on return.

“After surgery, when I came back, I was very, very careful with my back. That, I think, affected my bowling action and release and everything. So, I was trying to be careful,” he said.

“I missed a little bit of my rhythm. You know, I was trying to be slow for two-three months, four months.

“And what was not allowing me (to push harder) was a bit of pain in the back. I was scared. So, yeah, just to work on my core. And I tried my best to make it as strong as possible. And then, you know, just to go on with the full energy,” he recollected.

Though the Afghan star is fit to bowl again, he said it would be difficult to play Test cricket going forward.

“Red ball is something which looks a bit difficult for me to keep in. Yes, one Test in a year, I will take that, but I don’t think I can do more than that,” he said.

Published on Apr 09, 2026