Gujarat Titans star spinner Rashid Khan is working on a potential new variation. In an interview with Sports Today, Rashid admitted that the gap between bat and ball has widened significantly in recent times, forcing him to rethink and innovate.
One of the greatest spinners in T20 history, Rashid has enjoyed a relatively quiet phase in the last two seasons, picking up just 19 wickets in 27 matches. This is in stark contrast to his 2023 campaign where he scalped 27 goals in just 17 games.
In the interview, Rashid explained that bowlers have been lagging behind in the IPL and T20 cricket in general, largely because of how fast the batsmen have evolved over the past few years. According to him, this shift prompted him to explore new variations to bridge the gap between the two disciplines.
“I’m thinking about a few things that I haven’t played in the game. We have a leg-spinner, we have an off-spinner, but there are variations that I haven’t used because I don’t have the control yet to bowl them in a match, especially in the IPL where it’s an intense, high-pressure phase and you have to perform,” Rashid Khan said in an exclusive interview with Sports Today.
“You can’t risk bringing in a new delivery at that time. I can only practice them when I play ODIs where I have to work for longer hours. But yes, I am definitely thinking about it,” he added.
WHAT IS RASHID KHAN’S NEW DELIVERY?
Asked about the kind of variation he develops, Rashid said there are only so many options available to the leg-spinner. Instead, it focuses on refining the deception – making its supply and googling look identical to the dough.
“I’m analyzing myself and discussing things with the analyst – what are our better options, whether it’s the pace, the release or ways to make it difficult for the batsmen. So yes, I’m working on a few things and hope to bring them into play soon,” Rashid said.
“But it’s nothing drastic. At the end of the day, you’re either throwing leg-spin or bad. There’s not much you can fundamentally change. It’s a very, very small margin. With leg-spin and bad spin, everything has to look the same – same grip, same action, same release. That’s something I’ve been working on over the last year,” he concluded, adding that both deliveries look identical.
Rashid’s slow start to the season has also reflected in Gujarat Titans’ results so far. GT were almost blown away by Punjab Kings in their opening match and then suffered a last-gasp defeat to Rajasthan Royals in their second match.
GT will next be in action at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, April 8.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
06 Apr 2026 15:54 IST
