Rashid Khan Opens Up On Rehab Mistakes, How A Break Helped Him Rediscover His Best Following Back Surgery

NDTV

a day ago

Afghanistan star spinner Rashid Khan, currently participating in The Hundred in the UK, opened up on how he made a mistake by returning to cricket just a few months after a back surgery following the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, which led to a decline in his performance. The spinner also admitted that, in desperation to perform well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 with Gujarat Titans (GT), he over-exerted himself in the training, feeling he was "letting his team down."
The IPL 2025 season was Rashid's worst ever, as he took nine wickets in 15 matches, averaging a disappointing 57.11 and leaking runs at an economy rate of 9.34. He was taken to the cleaners by the capped and uncapped talent alike as he was tonked for 33 sixes. The season saw him struggle with his speed and accuracy. However, following a two-month break after the IPL, Rashid came back better than ever, crossing the 650-run mark with a match-sealing 3/11 for defending champions Oval Invincibles' win over London Spirit at Lord's.
In a chat with ESPNCricinfo, Rashid admitted failing to grasp the doctor's advice following his back surgery.
"After IPL, I needed the kind of break where my body gets back to normal," Rashid said.
"I worked a little bit on my strength. And especially coming back from back surgery, I had not had much time to rehab properly. That's where I made a mistake to restart my cricket so quickly at that time. And I feel like I did not let myself properly recover, and I pushed it a little bit at that time, and I can see the disadvantage of that now. But after IPL [2025], I felt like I needed that kind of two months off where I could just focus on my fitness," said Rashid.
"And when I came on Tuesday, I felt so good, in a good rhythm, and the ball was coming nicely out of my hand, and [my] body was allowing me to go through. So these things matter a lot - sometimes you do not think about that a lot; you just try your best to push yourself. But I feel to be out of the game for some time and focus on my fitness - and also [focus] mentally and physically - that played a huge role," he added.
On a sluggish Lord's pitch, Rashid bowled at speeds varying between 94-98 kph and looked in total control.
"On Tuesday, I was bowling at 94-98 kph - that is my pace, and the speeds I am known to bowl at. I feel I was missing that before because my body was not allowing me to go through my action with that full energy. Last night, against Spirit, when I came to bowl, I was getting that good feeling, and I was touching that speed with which I could put the batsman in trouble, and also not allow him much time to read from the surface," he added.
After a few months of his back surgery, despite a warning to pay attention to his rehab, Rashid started playing competitive cricket from March 2024 onwards against Ireland, mostly T20Is, though. He was also a part of Afghanistan's historic run to the semifinals in the T20 World Cup 2024. Soon after that, he faced niggles in his back and hamstrings, causing him to miss the Big Bash League (BBL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL). In January 2025, he played some Test cricket, playing the second Zimbabwe Test at Bulawayo, bowling a combined 55 overs and picking up 11 wickets. But the toll of these marathon spells was felt during the Champions Trophy and the IPL. In the CT, he could pick just one wicket in three matches and leaked runs at an economy rate of 6.25.
"When I came back to cricket after surgery, I was told not to rush back in the longer formats [Tests and ODIs] that quickly as that was not going to help me," Rashid said.
"About eight to nine months after I had started to play post-surgery, I bowled 65 [55] overs in the Bulawayo Test. That really pushed my back a little bit, and I felt it at that time. I should not have been in whites."
"In T20s, it is fine - you can manage yourself - but for the longer formats, I was advised that you should be away from that format for some time. That is the kind of mistake I have made. But the team needed that. At that time, we had lost a few games in Test cricket, but that is something where I rushed myself a little bit, and I did not give myself time, and I felt it later on. Yes, I think I have done a mistake where my body was not allowing me that and I am facing a problem. The thing i,s the stiffness in your back does not allow you to go with full rhythm," he added.
During the IPL, the spin wizard admitted trying too many things and bowling too many overs in the training sessions.
"I was trying my best to get back on track and deliver the best for the team, and do what I am famous for, what I am known for. But sometimes, you are trying your best, you are pushing yourself too much, [and] it doesn't help. You just need to try to be relaxed and cool down, and let the things [be] - it will be fine. You just need to not put too much of pressure on yourself. I was going to the nets every day, sometimes bowling 15-16 overs at one go," he added.
Rashid felt that he was "letting everyone down" and even consulted GT's coaching staff regarding his bowling, as he felt good bowling in the nets. Now, looking back, spinner admits the needs to "calm down" and accept one could have "bad days or years".
"Sometimes you just need to calm down. You do have bad days, [and] you have bad years, and you have to accept that; it's not like you are going to be on top all the time. These things just teach you so many good things. And that is something which I should have taken - like yes, it is fine. I shouldn't be pushing myself too much. I am positive that I am working hard, but it is just a matter of time it will come," he said.
Rashid was also aware given the status and intensity IPL had, people were bound to question if he was past his prime.
"Everyone then talk about like, 'Okay, what happened? Is he done?' Is it this, [or] that? But for me, I was just missing my length," he said.
When he entered the IPL in 2017, Rashid bowled an economy of just six runs per over until 2022. By the next year, batters, especially right-handers, had a freer, attacking approach against him, with his economy rate gradually increasing to 8.57 (2023), 8.84 (2024) and 9.69 (2025) against the right-handers, as compared to just 5.95 in the 2017 season, which marked his debut.
A few seasons ago, Rashid's balls-per-six ratio was 43, but by 2025, it was 10. Rashid was aware of these numbers, but didn't feel too concerned.
"Before, when I was bowling 24 balls (four overs per T20 innings), I was missing pitching them on length for like four or five balls. But then the number went up to eight or nine balls. And in those eight to nine balls, they are scoring those extra couple of sixes and couple of big boundaries. I just needed to decrease that. Nothing else. It is not like of the 24 balls, I was bowling every ball badly, [or] I was bowling wides and full tosses. I knew it is going to be fine," he added.
Rashid pulled out of the Major Cricket League (MLC), where he represents MI New York, in June after a chat with coaches made him extent of stress he was putting his body under and unable to go with the "full flow". During his time away from the game, he did a lot of strength training, especially for his lower back and did some spot bowling two to three times a week, along with some batting. The gym work gained more focus. The spinner, who got married last October, also got to spend more time with the family, which left him feeling relaxed.
"After IPL finished, for three weeks, I did not touch the ball. I spent most of my time with my family, [and] my nephews - going around with them, [and] had fun - just to take all those memories and stuff and bad days out of my mind, and then restart with the cricket. That is what I did just to be refreshed, and then got back on track and got back bowling in the right spot," he added.
The break seems to have impacted Rashid positively, as before coming back to The Hundred, he played four matches for Speen Ghar Tigers, in Afghanistan's T20 tournament, picking up 4/19 in the last match. Now, Rashid will be hoping to carry the momentum forward as Invincibles aim to make it a hat-trick of titles.