Rashid Khan recalls Ashish Nehra's message prior to GT captaincy debut, 'It was a dream'

Last year, the Indian Premier League (IPL) witnessed the captaincy debut of Rashid Khan, the talented all-rounder from Afghanistan. Describing it as a realization of his dream, Rashid stepped in as the skipper of Gujarat Titans in the absence of Hardik Pandya, who was not fit for the match. As the vice-captain of the Gujarat Titans, Rashid led the defending champs against the formidable Chennai Super Kings. 

During a conversation on the GT Podcast, the Afghan spinner disclosed that he never envisioned himself leading a team in the prestigious Indian Premier League. Rashid said it was a dream for him to become a captain for his team in the league. He added that there was excitement and pressure before his maiden match as captain in the IPL. 

"That was a special match as it was my first match as captain in IPL, and that too during Ramadan. I woke up at 3 am for sehri. I got a message from Ashish Nehra, saying 'Khan sahab get ready. Hardik might not play as he is not well. There was excitement and pressure. It was a dream," Rashid Khan said on the GT Podcast.

"I'm from Afghanistan and tomorrow I will be leading a team in India in IPL. The moment I wanted to sleep, everything was coming in front of my eyes. I was thinking about what I will say at the toss, and what is the mindset going to be like. I had led Afghanistan in the past but leading a team in the IPL is a different experience," he added.

Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023

As far as Gujarat Titans' campaign in IPL 2023 is concerned, the Ahmedabad-based franchise became the first side to qualify for the playoffs of the tournament. Gujarat secured the top spot in the table after defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in their penultimate league game on May 15. Last year too, Gujarat were the first side to make it to the playoffs and they also finished at the top of the points table. 

Gujarat Titans are slated to play their final league stage match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 21. The match will not have an effect on Gujarat's standing in the table but it will decide RCB's qualification chances. 

As far as Gujarat Titans’ campaign in IPL 2023 is concerned, the Ahmedabad-based franchise became the first side to qualify for the playoffs of the tournament. Gujarat secured the top spot on the table after defeating the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their penultimate league game on May 15. Last year, Gujarat was the first squad to make it to the playoffs, and they also finished at the top of the points table. 

Gujarat Titans are slated to play their final league stage match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 21. The game will not affect Gujarat’s standing on the table, but it would decide RCB‘s qualification chances. 

Image: BCCI