Anil Kumble Says Rashid Khan Is No Longer as Intimidating in IPL

Anil Kumble opined that Rashid Khan is no longer as intimidating as before and believes the Gujarat Titans need stronger support from their other bowlers in IPL 2026.

Anil Kumble believes the Gujarat Titans can no longer depend on Rashid Khan as heavily as before heading into IPL 2026. He feels the leg-spinner’s impact has reduced as batters have grown familiar with his style.

Gujarat reached the Eliminator in IPL 2025 with a strong bowling unit, but Rashid struggled throughout the season. He finished with 9 wickets at an average of 57.11 and an economy rate of 9.35, his weakest IPL numbers. In the 2024 season, he managed only 10 wickets from 12 matches, well below his career average of 17.5 wickets per season.

Kumble said Gujarat will need greater contributions from other options. He highlighted left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore and all-rounders Washington Sundar and Rahul Tewatia as key players who must step up to share the workload.

“I think the novelty of Rashid Khan has worn off a little. There are many similar bowlers available now, so he is not as intimidating as before. His workload has to be managed more, along with bowlers like Sai Kishore. Even Rahul Tewatia and Washington Sundar can contribute more for GT this season,” Kumble said on JioStar.

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Rashid Khan had previously explained that his recent drop in form was a result of back surgery in 2023.

GT Top Order Remains Main Strength

In the same discussion, Irfan Pathan had highlighted key tactical areas for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026. He pointed to the importance of using the new signing Jason Holder effectively, noting his value with the new ball and improved power-hitting.

“Their bet on Jason Holder is interesting. He is an amazing bowler with the new ball, but his batting has improved, especially his six-hitting abilities. GT has put a lot of faith in that. Their main strength is their top three batters: Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler. How they use Washington Sundar will be important, as his batting has gotten better, too. The role of Glenn Phillips, or whoever plays at number four or five, will also be very big,” Pathan said.

GT Squad for IPL 2026

Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Glenn Phillips, Jason Holder, Ashok Sharma, Luke Wood, Prithvi Raj Yarra and Tom Banton