‘A Character In Him': RCB Assistant Coach Omkar Salvi On Rasikh Dar’s IPL 2026 Breakthrough Season

Fast bowler Rasikh Salam Dar has impressed for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026, after a long, testing path from Jammu & Kashmir. In his first match of the season at Wankhede Stadium, he bowled a key over, finished with 1 for 23, and battled severe cramps.

Rasikh said he had never faced such pain before. “When I came on to bowl, I got a cramp, something I had never experienced before,” he said. Despite struggling to bend and stay upright, his focus stayed on simply finishing the over for his team.

His resolve showed again in the next outing, when he produced a four-wicket haul against Lucknow Super Giants. RCB Assistant Coach Omkar Salvi praised his attitude. “There is a character in him,” Salvi said, pointing to Rasikh’s tough upbringing in the hills of Jammu and Kashmir.

Rasikh Dar Journey: From J&K To IPL Glory

Rasikh grew up with limited belief in cricket as a career. “When I started playing professionally, my family and relatives used to say that no one can take cricket as a profession,” he recalled. He added that his mother always backed his dream to become a cricketer.

He lived nearly 70 to 80 kilometres from Srinagar, which made even trials a task. At his first Under-19 trials, he did not know the full process and was not selected. A year later, Irfan Pathan saw him bowl a few deliveries and began guiding him closely.

Salvi later observed the traits that marked him out at the state level. “The first thing I saw was that he was competitive,” Salvi said. He noted Rasikh’s ability to swing the ball both ways, use a slower ball, and think differently about T20 cricket plans.

Rasik Dar's Cricket Career So Far

Here is a graph of his growth in IPL over the years:

Injuries, Auction, Faith And Future Goals

Just as his progress grew, Rasikh’s career stalled due to injuries. He stayed away from competitive cricket between 2019 and 2021. After Kolkata Knight Riders picked him, two back injuries, including one during recovery, taught him not to rush and instead follow the full rehabilitation process.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru invested in his potential at the 2024 mega-auction, buying him for INR 6 crore. Rasikh viewed joining RCB as a major learning opportunity. He had earlier questioned senior seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar about bowling choices and match situations to understand plans.

Salvi said Rasikh worked hard even while not playing, watching games, and later sharing his own thoughts during practice. “With Rasikh, he can move the ball both ways,” Salvi noted. The pacer now aims to represent India across formats, wherever chances come.