Rashid Khan, the Afghan spin maestro renowned for his ability to consistently hit the nagging length and outsmart batters with his variations, has been facing a challenging time in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Known for his mystery and control, Rashid has been a key player for the Gujarat Titans since 2022. However, in the four games he has played this season, he has managed to pick up only one wicket, conceding runs at an alarming rate of 10.21 per over.
The 26-year-old has gone wicketless in three consecutive matches, a rare occurrence in his IPL career, marking only the second time this has happened, with both instances falling within his last eight IPL games. In IPL 2024, following his return from lower back surgery, Rashid managed to take just 10 wickets at an economy rate of 8.40.
As the season progressed, opposition batters seemed to adapt to his bowling, comfortably seeing off his four overs and capitalizing on the rest of the attack. This year, however, Rashid has struggled to maintain the control he is known for, leading to a significant increase in runs conceded.
Post the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rashid underwent back surgery, and former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson suggests this could be a contributing factor to his current form. ‘It has been very interesting to see the decline in the impact that Rashid Khan has had,’ Watson, a JioStar Expert, remarked during a media interaction. He noted that Rashid has been slightly off his best, particularly in maintaining his consistent length, a hallmark of his bowling. Watson speculated that Rashid might still be adjusting to his return from the back injury, which could affect his ability to execute his variations effectively.
Despite being out of action for around four months following the surgery, and a year since his comeback, sources from TimesofIndia.com suggest that Rashid might still be away from peak fitness. Although the Gujarat Titans’ physios have not detected any anomalies, Rashid’s non-stop schedule since returning to competitive cricket could be taking a toll. His commitments have spanned across various tournaments including the 2024 T20 World Cup for Afghanistan, the IPL, Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA, the Hundred, Afghanistan’s domestic T20 competition Shpageeza Cricket League, and SA20.
Ramji Srinivasan, former India Strength and Conditioning coach, emphasized the challenges of recovery post-back surgery. ‘It is very difficult to generalize. One may come back after back surgery in 2 to 3 months, or even longer. It also depends on the intensity of the surgery. Lower back surgery recovery can range from 3 months to 6 months to 8 months to 1 year,’ he explained. Srinivasan highlighted the importance of effective rehab, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and mindset in the recovery process, underscoring the need for a comprehensive support system.
On the topic of workload management, Srinivasan described it as a ‘big concept’ that involves not just strength and conditioning but also coaches, physios, players, recovery specialists, and massage therapists.
Raees Ahmadzai, former Afghanistan assistant coach and current coach of Afghanistan’s U-19 team, believes that Rashid is merely going through a bad phase. ‘He is tough as nails. He is going to grind it out of this phase. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have also gone through such bad phases. Cricketers of such stature know how to get out of such situations,’ Ahmadzai stated. He expressed confidence in Rashid’s ability to analyze his performance and make the necessary adjustments, suggesting that the spinner would have reviewed his recent performances meticulously with the team’s video analyst.