Unnati Madan
thecricketlounge|11-04-2024
When Gujarat Titans (GT) lost their main man and captain, Shubman Gill, it seemed like Rajasthan Royals (RR) had the game in their hands with 54 runs needed in the last 4 overs. However, fate had other plans as Rashid Khan entered the crease at the 2nd last ball of the 18th over. With 35 needed off 12 balls, Rashid and Rahul Tewatia launched an onslaught against the RR bowlers. Rashid's explosive batting, including three boundaries in the final over, turned the tables. His brilliant performance earned him the Player of the Match award. Rashid expressed his satisfaction at contributing to GT's victory both with the bat and the ball. After the match, in the post-match presentation, when he was asked about what pleased him more - his bowling or his batting, Rashid Khan said: "Well, most pleasing was winning the game. Was struggling a bit with the bowling and was happy I was hitting the right areas today, and that made me happier, and gave me energy in my batting. I have not bowled much in the last three-four months and just trying to get used to bowling again, getting that feel back in my fingers." He added: "I just lost a little bit of grip. Had a good session before the last game and that really helped me, and I felt I was a little bit back to my best. Enjoyed today. (On chasing a high run-rate) It is just a matter of hitting three or four sixes and that brings the run-rate down. You just have to be positive. The more positive you are thinking inside, the better the result comes out." Rashid Khan has an impressive record against the Royals, having picked up 16 wickets in the 14 matches he has played against them at a good economy rate. Even in IPL 2023, he performed well against them, taking 5 wickets and conceding 60 runs in 8 overs across 2 matches. Rashid has consistently delivered strong performances against RR, not only with the bat but also with the ball.WHAT. A. WIN 🔥🔥 The pair of R & R has done it against #RR 👏👏 Rahul Tewatia & Rashid Khan pull off a famous win in Jaipur 👏👏 Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/1HcL9A97Ch#TATAIPL | #RRvGT pic.twitter.com/eImggsoNKB
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