IPL 2026 | 'Rashid Khan's mystery factor fading away': Ex-India batter to Gujarat Titans

New Delhi: As the Gujarat Titans fine-tune their plans for IPL 2026, head coach Shubman Gill faces a selection puzzle that could define the franchise’s campaign. Speaking on JioHotstar’s Game Plan – Know Your Team, JioStar expert Sanjay Bangar dissected the Titans’ middle-order conundrum and the waning aura of their talismanic spinner Rashid Khan.

Bangar believes the team’s loyalty to Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia—two designated finishers—will be tested when the final XI is inked. “GT have persisted with the players they drafted first. They have stuck with Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia,” he noted, adding that Washington Sundar’s evolving role as a No. 4 batter could free up one overseas slot. “We hope Shahrukh repays the faith shown by the GT management. He showed signs of improvement last season, scoring runs at crucial times. If both Tewatia and Shahrukh play, one could be used as an impact player,” Bangar said, stressing that late-order runs will be vital after last season’s top-order dependence.

The former India batting coach also advocated for the inclusion of Glenn Phillips, arguing the Kiwi’s power-hitting could lengthen the Titans’ batting order without compromising balance.

Bangar reserved his sharpest observation for Rashid Khan, whose once-impenetrable mystery appears to have lost some sheen. “Rashid Khan’s mystery factor fading away can be a combination of multiple factors,” he explained. “Batsmen have had enough look-ins because Rashid plays in all major franchise T20 leagues. The more you face a bowler, the more your mind starts finding methods to deal with him.”

The Narendra Modi Stadium surface, traditionally not sluggish, has further reduced Rashid’s staple modes of dismissal—trapping batters lbw or sneaking through the gate. “A major part of his game was to hit the pads or get bowled dismissals by keeping the stumps in play. That goes away a little bit,” Bangar said. He also hinted that the Afghan’s recent injury lay-off may have trimmed a fraction of his pace, subtly altering the trajectory that once made him unplayable.

Yet Bangar was quick to temper the critique: “He is still a bowler who picks up two or three wickets and bowls with an economy rate of under eight an over.” For the Titans, the equation is simple—Rashid remains central, but the support cast around him must shoulder greater responsibility if the 2022 champions are to reclaim the trophy.