Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan praised Rasikh Salam Dar for his consistent performances in IPL 2026. Pathan highlighted that the fast bowler from Jammu Kashmir had to go through a lot of hardships because of injuries and he was also banned for two years.
RCB lifted their second IPL title after registering a five-wicket win against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Dar returned with impressive figures of 3-27 in his quota of four overs in the all-important final against GT. The fast bowler from Jammu and Kashmir accounted for Rahul Tewatia, Nishant Sindhu and Rashid Khan.
The youngster scalped 19 wickets in 12 matches of IPL 2026 at an average of 21.31 and an economy rate of 9.45 and thus played a key role for RCB.
Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube Channel, “He is a player who has faced many hardships in his life. First, he suffered an injury. He was also handed a two-year ban, and after recovering from that injury, he suffered another injury that was never really talked about. He struggled for nearly six months after leaving Kolkata. He worked extremely hard during that period. And after all that, he has made a remarkable comeback. Now it feels like a determined young man from Kashmir is lifting trophies. Seeing that brings immense happiness to the heart.”
Pathan praised the fast bowler for his impressive performance in the summit clash against GT.
“Rasikh taking three wickets in the final as well was, I think, a very important contribution. Because if the entire responsibility of the bowling attack rests only on Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, that bowling unit will not succeed. You need another reliable fast bowler, and Rasikh has provided that support.”
The former swing bowler hailed the youngster for his incredible journey and rising through the ranks.
“Rasikh has been playing cricket in this league for many years now. His journey has not been easy. Starting from Kulgam in Jammu and Kashmir, then moving to Mumbai, from Mumbai to Kolkata, from Kolkata to Delhi, and then to Bengaluru, and eventually winning the trophy twice with Bengaluru. What an incredible journey it has been.”
Rasikh would look to carry the good form in the domestic circuit.
