GT thriving by not dwelling on imperfections: Rashid

Aware of the scrutiny around Gujarat Titans’ middle order, star spinner Rashid Khan said the side has succeeded this season by not dwelling on imperfections but trusting players to deliver in different situations and adapting quickly to conditions.

GT registered a massive 89-run win over Chennai Super Kings in their last league match on Thursday to take the top two positions in the points table.

“I think every team has those little bit areas to improve and have some areas very strong. You can’t be a complete 100 per cent perfect team. Doesn’t matter how good a player you will have... throughout the tournament, there has been lots of discussion about our middle order and things like that but I feel everyone is stepping up,” he said.

“Everyone is taking the responsibility and I feel like that’s so important. If you keep thinking about those 10 per cent or 15 per cent, you are not accurate, it’s going to affect the rest of 70-75 or 80 per cent.

“For us the thing is that we just keep the thing simple. Whoever the opposition is, how are we going to be more impactful whoever gets the opportunity in the middle. Either you bat, bowl or field. So don’t much think about where we weak, where we strong. Think about what is in front of me and how I can do better for the team.”

Rashid heaped praise on the bowlers for their consistent effort this season.

“The wicket didn’t change. I think the bowling attack we have, especially the fast bowling unit we have, we have done a really great job throughout the tournament,” Rashid said.

“And I feel like on this wicket, if you hit the right area consistently with a good pace, there is something for the bowler. While putting score on the board, you just don’t go with the flow, you just see the condition first and then you try to play accordingly.”

The Afghanistan leg-spinner said Gujarat’s biggest strength has been their ability to read conditions faster than the opposition.

“I think that’s the kind of main strength which remains for us throughout the competition, that we adjust ourselves with the conditions very quickly as a bowling unit and also as a batting unit.

“So I feel like we adjusted ourselves with the condition and the wicket quicker than them and I think that’s the reason behind we won again,” he said.

Reflecting on the challenges of bowling in high-scoring games, Rashid said modern-day T20 cricket demands aggressive thinking from bowlers even under pressure.

“In this game, when you’re defending 230, you will go for runs. It’s not something like you’re going to be still bowling 18 to 20 dot balls,” he said.

“But I feel like for you as a bowler, one thing remains, how I’m going to make it super hard and tough for him to hit that ball for a boundary,” he added.

Rashid also spoke about dealing with difficult phases in his career, including a forgettable outing in 2019 when he conceded over 100 runs in a first-class innings.

“Well, I think in life you have good days and bad days and you have to know how to manage yourself in bad days as well,” he said.

“And if you keep doing well and don’t have any bad day, I don’t think you’re going to learn a lot,” he added.

The 27-year-old said he focuses more on execution and consistency than match results, revealing that he regularly studies his pitching maps after games to assess his performance.

“Every game I play, I ask the video analyst to send me the pitching map and I see where I pitched maximum deliveries and what I can do better,” Rashid said.

Rashid also praised skipper Shubman Gill and opener Sai Sudharsan for their clarity and consistency at the top of the order.

“Shubman, I think he is getting better and better each and every day. He is adjusting himself with the condition and the grounds very quickly and he reads the game very quickly,” Rashid said.

“I think what is great with Shubman is he knows his game. He knows his innings, how to start, how to accelerate and how to finish it,” he added.