Ahmedabad, April 3 (IANS) Gujarat Titans star spinner Rashid Khan took the time off from the practice to offer prayers at a mosque ahead of the team’s second match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at their home ground Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.

Rashid, who was retained by GT ahead of IPL 2026, was seen arriving at the mosque during his stay in the city. The spinner quietly participated in namaz, reflecting a moment of calm and devotion amid the pressure of winning in the IPL.

The Afghanistan spinner boasts a strong record in the IPL, where he has taken 159 wickets in 137 matches. He has also taken two four-wicket hauls in the tournament’s history. Rashid made his debut in IPL 2017 for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and since then, he has become a core member of the team he represents in the league.

However, the 27-year-old had a poor season last year, where he was missing lengths after coming back from an injury. The former Afghanistan captain recorded only nine wickets in 15 matches at an expensive economy rate of 9.34 (his highest in an IPL season) and conceded 33 sixes, the highest by any bowler in a single IPL season.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat Titans suffered a three-wicket loss at the hands of last season’s runners-up, the Punjab Kings, in their opening match of the IPL 2026. Rashid’s bowling was good in the match. He took a crucial wicket of Prabhsimran Singh, who was looking to finish the job for the Kings early. He also remained economical and put pressure on the opposition with dot balls. Rashid gave away just 29 runs in four overs at an economy of 7.2, which is considered good in T20s.

Rashid is again expected to play a big role as the Titans eye a comeback with a win against RR on Saturday.

–IANS

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