IPL 2026 | Rasikh Dar: The uncapped pacer who bowled RCB to IPL glory

Ahmedabad: When Royal Challengers Bengaluru splurged Rs 6 crore for Rasikh Dar during the mega auctions in November 2024 — five times more than South African international Lungi Ngidi — the move surprised many. Yes, the Jammu and Kashmir-born pacer had a decent 2024 IPL outing for Delhi Capitals with nine wickets in eight games, but such a heavy price for an uncapped journeyman still finding his feet was viewed as an over-evaluation of basic stock.

And that’s how it panned out last season as the 26-year-old could make a mere two appearances with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal doing all the pace-bowling work. But when Dayal ruled himself out of this season after being embroiled in legal troubles, the 26-year-old Dar may have felt he could finally get his time under the sun following plenty of toil.

It was not to be as the management initially put their money on Abhinandan Singh. Dar didn’t get disheartened as he was used to playing the waiting game since joining Mumbai Indians as a 17-year-old during the 2019 auctions. That season he made his IPL debut and just when things started to look promising for the bustling teenager he was banned by the BCCI from all cricketing activities for two years in June 2019 in an age-fudging case.

Dar, whose schoolteacher-father wanted him to join the Indian Army, didn’t give up on his cricketing dreams and kept honing his skills every day at his village in Ashmuji, Kulgam district, completing away from the spotlight. The road back was very tough but being a man from the hills, where life itself is an up-and-down climb or vice-versa everyday, he stayed focused on becoming a fast bowler.

The door opened when Kolkata Knight Riders took him onboard in 2022 but again he could only manage two games. His stint with DC the next season was the best but then he was let go before being procured by RCB. Money was great with the Red and Gold but he wanted caps and wickets, the currencies that matter.

So when RCB handed him a chance against DC on April 18 after Abhinandan struggled to make an impact, Dar was delighted. He took the first couple of matches to find his groove, but as he started to get a consistent run, the confidence started to grow. Coming on as first or second change pacer, Dar tightened the pressure created by Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood with wickets in the middle overs to end up becoming the perfect understudy for the seniors. 

Showing his coming of age after watching the seniors from the sidelines, Dar, who plays domestic cricket for Baroda now, revelled with his mixture of back-of-the-hand slower deliveries, yorkers, and the ability to move the ball both ways. He eventually ended up becoming one of the key performers for the team, picking up 19 wickets in 12 games with two three-wicket hauls, including a 3/27 show in the final against Gujarat Titans.

“At first, we went with Abhinandan in the league stage. He also tried his best. But when we gave a chance to Rasikh, he looked confident because he has been playing IPL for 3-4 years,” said RCB skipper Rajat Patidar after the final. “He is very much confident about his skills, about his slower ones, back of the hand, and especially yorkers. I think he supported Bhuvi and Hazlewood this IPL. Again, it’s clear that whenever I see him, he has clarity about his role, what he has to do.”

The stock of Dar took a couple of years to mature, but it has blossomed well.