Cricket-Gujarat still have room to improve despite top-two finish, says Rashid


Cricket - Indian Premier League - IPL - Gujarat Titans v Chennai Super Kings - Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, India - May 21, 2026 Gujarat Titans' Jason Holder and Rashid Khan celebrate taking the wicket of Chennai Super Kings' Anshul Kamboj REUTERS/Amit Dave

May 22 (Reuters) - Gujarat Titans ⁠qualified for the Indian Premier League playoffs for the fourth time ⁠in five seasons on Thursday with an 89-run win over ‌Chennai Super Kings, but despite their top-two finish spinner Rashid Khan said they still have room to improve.

Gujarat, who won the title in their 2022 debut season, posted nine wins ​from 14 matches and trail only Royal ⁠Challengers Bangalore in the table.

Rashid ⁠said there was no danger of them getting carried away.

"You can't really say ⁠we ‌are a very perfect team or we are 100% perfect and we will win each and every game," he told reporters.

"We ⁠just keep things simple. Whoever the opposition is, the ​focus is on how ‌we can be more impactful and take responsibility when the opportunity ⁠comes in ​the middle."

After setting Chennai to chase 230, Gujarat delivered a dominant bowling display with Rashid and pacers Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada each claiming three wickets ⁠to bowl out the visitors for 140 in ​13.4 overs.

Their bowlers have been central to Gujarat's success this season, with Siraj, Rabada and Rashid all among the top seven wicket-takers. Rabada is the ⁠joint highest wicket-taker with 24 alongside Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

"The bowling attack we have, especially the fast bowling unit, has done a really great job throughout the tournament," said Rashid.

"The main thing for us ​is that we adjust ourselves to the conditions ⁠very quickly."

Gujarat's openers have also played a key role, with Shubman Gill and ​Sai Sudharsan topping the run charts. Sudharsan ‌has scored 638 runs in 14 matches, ​while Gill has amassed 616 in 13.

The IPL playoffs begin on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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