Afghanistan and Gujarat Titans all-rounder Rashid Khan became a proud father on Saturday, sharing the joyful news with his followers. The spinner made the announcement on social media a day after his franchise recorded a win over Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League 2026 match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Posting on Instagram, Rashid wrote, “Alhamdulillah. Welcome to the world, my little prince,” and included a couple of photos that also revealed the baby’s name as Azlan Khan. The comments section quickly filled up with messages of congratulations from fans and cricket fraternity.
Rashid’s personal milestone came just after Gujarat Titans secured a solid five-wicket victory over the KKR side on Friday. In that IPL 2026 clash, Shubman Gill played a key role with an impressive knock of 86, while Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj set the tone early with a sharp new-ball spell that dismantled KKR’s top order. The result helped the Titans move to their third win of the season, with Gill steering the chase in dominant fashion.
Gujarat’s breakthrough largely stemmed from their pace attack. Rabada finished with figures of 3/29 and Siraj contributed 2/23 as the duo exploited movement to keep Kolkata under pressure from the start. Under that sustained threat, KKR were bowled out for 180, with the Titans’ bowlers consistently finding ways to make batters play at difficult deliveries.
Kolkata’s innings was held up by Cameron Green, who produced a fighting 79 off 55 balls. It was the first meaningful contribution with the bat for the former champions in this season’s campaign, but even his effort was not enough to stop the Titans from taking control of the game. With the loss, KKR remained without a win in the ongoing edition.
The match’s turning points were visible during the powerplay phases. After KKR struggled to 37 for 3, Gill helped drive the chase forward, putting Gujarat in command with a score of 71 for 1 in the opening overs. That early momentum ensured the Titans were always chasing in a controlled rhythm, rather than playing catch-up.
While chasing a total that was below par, Gill looked comfortable right from the beginning. He struck three boundaries early, including a clean straight drive, and also struck a six within the first three overs. From there, his innings gained steadiness and pace, as he anchored the chase with calm shot selection and efficient running between the wickets.
Gill’s knock was built around timing and control, featuring eight fours and four sixes in total. Although KKR managed to claim a handful of wickets, they were unable to slow the scoring rate or create a sustained period of pressure that could turn the contest back in their favour.
