Rashid Khan struggles as Rinku Singh steals win for KKR

Gujarat Titans’ captain Rashid Khan reflects on tough game against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2023, as KKR successfully chased down 29 runs in the final over.

_{^{Despite Rashid Khan’s impressive hat-trick, Gujarat Titans were unable to secure a victory against Kolkata Knight Riders. (Rashid Khan)}}

In an absolute thriller at the Narendra Modi Stadium on April 9, Sunday, Gujarat Titans suffered their first loss in the tournament against Kolkata Knight Riders. The second innings of the match was packed with excitement, beginning with an impressive hat-trick by Gujarat Titans’ captain, Rashid Khan. However, the game took a dramatic turn as Rinku Singh from Kolkata Knight Riders smashed Yash Dayal for 5 sixes in the last 5 balls of the match, leading to an unforgettable chase for the ages.

As the stand-in captain for Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan had a challenging day in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite taking a hat-trick in the 17th over to bring his team back into the game after an onslaught from Venkatesh Iyer, Rashid’s team eventually fell short. In the post-match presentation, Rashid acknowledged that it was a tough day as captain but expressed his determination to learn from the experience.

“T20 is all about entertainment. We were in a similar position but on the winning side last year. This is a valuable learning opportunity for our team early in the competition, and most importantly, we played a good game of cricket that hopefully the fans enjoyed as well,” Rashid said after the match.

Kolkata Knight Riders pulled off an improbable win against Gujarat Titans, thanks to Rinku Singh’s incredible performance in the final over where he hit five consecutive sixes off Yash Dayal. Rashid Khan, who had just taken his first-ever hat-trick in the Indian Premier League by dismissing Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Shardul Thakur in the 17th over, seemed to have sealed the game for Gujarat Titans. However, Rinku’s remarkable hitting turned the tables.

“Despite Yash bowling the type of ball he is usually comfortable with, it unfortunately did not work out in the middle.. It’s one of those days when your plans go in the opposite direction.Credit must be given to the batter for the incredible manner in which he finished the game.,” Rashid explained.

Rinku’s madness with the bat came after Rashid’s heroics, and it dashed Gujarat Titans’ hopes of winning their third consecutive game in the tournament. The match was a thrilling spectacle with unexpected twists and turns that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

Rashid Khan acknowledged the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket, stating that if you miss your right length, you can see what happened in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders. He emphasized that hitting the right areas as a bowler is crucial, but in T20, even the best plans can go awry due to the dynamic nature of the format.

“It makes you mature, and it’s very good for the game of cricket. There are lots of learning opportunities as a captain. Captaining a side in the IPL is a great experience for me, and I can take a lot of lessons from it for my future,” Rashid concluded, reflecting on the valuable experience of leading Gujarat Titans in the match.

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Toshika Chauhan