IPL 2026: Chawla Applauds Rashid Khan's Masterclass and Impressive Dismissal of Rizvi
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New Delhi, April 9 (NationPress) Former Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla praised the accuracy and cunning of Afghanistan's Rashid Khan, who recorded remarkable bowling figures of 3-17 for the Gujarat Titans in their thrilling one-run victory over the Delhi Capitals during IPL 2026. Chawla noted that Rashid's dismissal of Sameer Rizvi was particularly impressive.
At the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Rashid displayed his exceptional skill by taking out Rizvi, Nitish Rana, and Axar Patel, leaving DC struggling in their pursuit of 211 runs. Despite suffering from an injured left hand, David Miller made a commendable contribution with an unbeaten 41 runs, while Prasidh Krishna successfully defended 13 runs in the last over, securing a nail-biting victory for GT.
“Everyone is aware of Rashid Khan's capabilities on his day; he can challenge any batting order. The Gujarat Titans required his performance, particularly while defending a substantial total on an excellent batting pitch and a smaller ground, and he delivered,” Chawla commented.
“He was precise from the very first ball. The way he took out Sameer Rizvi was especially noteworthy. He had bowled several leg-spinners earlier, and when Rizvi came in, a batter known for his strong performances against spin this season, Rashid showed him the slip, making him anticipate a leg-break.
“However, he deceived him with a wrong’un. It was a stunning delivery, perfectly aimed, beating the bat through the gap,” Chawla, a JioStar expert on Star Sports, added.
He also highlighted KL Rahul's impressive 92 runs as a crucial element in keeping DC in the game until it slipped away. “At that moment, those runs were vital, and KL Rahul ensured the required run rate never completely fell out of reach for Delhi Capitals.
“He began steadily, scoring around 26 off his first 20 balls, but then accelerated impressively. After such an innings, he would likely feel disappointed because when you bat like that, you aim to finish the game for your team. Unfortunately, that didn't happen for him,” Chawla concluded.