“He was also handed a two-year ban”

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan lauded and reflected on the journey of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ₹6 crore pacer Rasikh Salam following the IPL 2026 final against Gujarat Titans (GT). The contest was played on Sunday, May 31, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Chasing 156, RCB secured a five-wicket victory with 12 balls to spare, clinching their second consecutive IPL title. Speaking on his YouTube channel (Irfan Pathan), the 41-year-old spoke about Rasikh, noting that the seamer has battled injury setbacks during his career. He also highlighted the two-year ban imposed on the pacer by the BCCI in 2019 for age fraud and commended him for his remarkable comeback, saying:

“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 also spoke about the 26-year-old’s performance in the summit clash, where Rasikh returned impressive figures of 3/27 in his four overs. Praising the seamer, Pathan said:

“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.”

In 12 matches, he claimed 19 wickets at an average of 21.31, a strike rate of 13.5, and an economy rate of 9.45, with best figures of 4/24.

“What an incredible journey” – Irfan Pathan on Rasikh Salam following IPL 2026 glory

In the same video, Irfan Pathan noted that Rasikh Salam’s journey has been far from easy. The Jammu and Kashmir pacer was first picked by Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL before stints with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC), eventually finding a home at RCB. Reflecting on the seamer’s path to success, Pathan said:

“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.”

Across his 25-match IPL career, the seamer has claimed 29 wickets at an average of 28.06, a strike rate of 16.8, and an economy rate of 10.00.