A high-octane atmosphere characterises the IPL playoffs, separating the good from the excellent. As young medium-pacer Rasikh Salam Dar turned out to be none of these last night (May 26, 2026), he created a new history for himself through an utter dream spell in Qualifier 1 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026.
With RCB batting out a total score of 254 runs that their batters had stacked up for the Gujarat franchise at the beautiful Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala, the right-arm bowler destroyed the Gujarat top order through a sensational double-wicket maiden in the last over of the power play, with a sharp caught-and-bowled to get the dangerous young talent Nishant Sindhu out, followed by an awkward pull-shot that looped directly into Josh Hazlewood’s hands at mid-on after tempting a powerful pull from the West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder. This shattered the chase-momentum of the Gujarat franchise in a significant way, sending Bengaluru straight into the final through a resounding victory by 92 runs.
RCB vs GT, Qualifier 1: Which Bowlers Features In The Historic List Of Double Wicket Maiden Record Holders?
| Bowler | Team | Opponent | IPL Season |
| Lasith Malinga | Mumbai Indians | Rajasthan Royals | 2011 |
| Samuel Badree | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Mumbai Indians | 2017 |
| Deepak Chahar | Chennai Super Kings | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2019 |
| Mohammed Siraj | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2020 |
| Trent Boult | Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings | 2020 |
| Umran Malik | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Punjab Kings | 2022 |
| Rasikh Salam Dar | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Gujarat Titans | 2026 |
What Makes Rasikh Salam Dar’s Playoff Spell Historically Significant?
What places Rasikh Salam Dar’s performance in a completely different category is the high-stakes context of an IPL playoff fixture. Most historical instances of a double-wicket maiden have taken place during the routine league stages of the tournament, where teams have ample space to recover from early batting collapses. Achieving this phenomenal feat during Qualifier 1 against a formidable chasing line-up like the Gujarat Titans speaks volumes about the youngster’s temperament.
His accurate sixth over left the Gujarat Titans reeling at 51 for 5 at the end of the powerplay. Despite a fighting lone warrior knock from Rahul Tewatia, who scored 68 runs off 43 balls, the early damage inflicted by Rasikh Salam Dar and a three-wicket haul from Jacob Duffy ensured the Gujarat Titans were bundled out for 162 in 19.3 overs, putting Bengaluru on course to defend their prestigious trophy.
