You Do Have Bad Days, And...: Rashid Khan Makes Major Revelation On His Struggles In IPL 2025
Notably, Rashid was far from his best during the IPL 2025, picking up only nine wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 9.34, conceding a record 33 sixes - the most by any bowler in a single IPL season.
In a candid chat, the 26-year-old spinner has revealed that he was trying too many things and pushing himself too much in training.
"I was trying my best to get back on track and deliver the best for the team, and do what I'm famous for, what I'm 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'll 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," Rashid told ESPNCricinfo.
The leg-spinner further mentioned that he felt he was "letting everyone down", and even asked the coaching staff of Gujarat Titans about what was happening as he was feeling good in the nets.
"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's something which I should have taken - like yes, it's fine. I shouldn't be pushing myself too much. I'm positive that I'm working hard, but it's just a matter of time it'll come," he said.
Rashid admitted were bound to question whether he remained the same formidable bowler he once was after his ordinary outing for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025 season.
"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.
After having a difficult IPL 2025 campaign, Rashid took a break off two months and has returned rejuvenated, producing a match-wining 3 for 11 in Oval Invincibles' win over London Spirit in their first game of The Hundred 2025 at Lord's.
"After IPL, I needed the kind of break where my body gets back to normal. I worked a little bit on my strength. And especially coming back from back surgery, I hadn't had much time to rehab properly. That's where I did a bit of mistake to restart my cricket so quickly at that time.
And I feel like I didn't 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 can just focus on my fitness," the Afghanistan spinner said
"And when I came yesterday [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 don't 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 really played a huge role," he concluded.
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