Rashid Khan Admits Post-Surgery Rush, Regains Form After IPL 2025 Struggles

Afghanistan's premier leg-spinner Rashid Khan faced a challenging IPL 2025 season, taking only nine wickets in 15 matches with an economy rate of 9.34 and conceding a record 33 sixes, the highest by any bowler in a single IPL season. Rashid revealed that his struggles were partly due to rushing back into competitive cricket too soon after back surgery post-2023 ODI World Cup, without adequate rehabilitation. He admitted to pushing himself too hard in training and matches, which affected his rhythm, speed, and accuracy. After the IPL, Rashid took a two-month break to focus on fitness and recovery, which helped him return to form, as evidenced by his match-winning 3/11 performance for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred. He acknowledged that longer formats like Tests put more strain on his back and that he should have avoided rushing back into those formats too quickly. Rashid emphasized the importance of balancing physical and mental recovery to maintain his bowling pace and effectiveness.