Gujarat Titans, the defending champions, are on track to advance to the IPL 2023 playoffs. With a few games left in the group stage, they are presently atop the IPL standings and would want to finish in the top two spots. They were defeated by the Mumbai Indians in their most recent game as the Titans could muster only 191 runs in response to MI’s 218-run target.
The Hardik Pandya-led side would not have reached even 191 if Rashid Khan hadn’t played the astonishing knock. The Titans were in serious trouble at 103/8 and on the verge of a crushing loss until the Afghan took the aggressive route in the final few overs, bringing them that close. Rashid scored 79 out of the 88 runs that Alzarri Joseph and he added for the ninth wicket.
He displayed a batting frenzy against the MI bowlers, remaining unbeaten on 79 off just 32 balls as his knock was studded with three fours and ten sixes. That’s not all, either. Rashid had previously taken 4 wickets with the ball in the first innings and registered 4/30 in his four-over spell. Although the 24-year-old was unlucky to be on the losing team, former India player Mohammad Kaif praised him after the game, and said that the team is lucky to have a player like him.
“Gujarat Titans are lucky to have a player like Rashid Khan. He isn’t just a special bowler but also a good batter. He never gives up. Almighty has been benevolent on GT as they got a world-class cricketer in Rashid,” Kaif said while speaking with Star Sports.
With the Titans, Rashid has had a fantastic season. He is currently the leading wicket-taker for not just the Titans, but also in the tournament, having scalped 23 wickets in 12 matches. He registered his best bowling figures this season in the match against Mumbai Indians and also is the only player in the ongoing edition to have picked a hat-trick.