Rasikh Salam Dar is an Indian fast bowler from Jammu and Kashmir who has played a career characterized by immense early potential, a career-altering ban, and then fighting his way back to become an integral part of the defending champions of IPL. The tale of Rasikh Salam from his native district in Kashmir to franchise cricket in India remains one of the most fascinating tales of redemption in cricket in India.
Rasikh Salam is known to be a bowler who could create pace and swing in his bowling, becoming a story of resilience in a sport which sees players suffer the misfortune of being unable to carry on their career due to controversies and injuries among other factors.
Who Is Rasikh Salam?
Rasikh Salam Dar is a right-arm medium-fast bowler who plays for Baroda in domestic Indian cricket and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League. He hails from Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir in India, growing up in a region famous for its passion for cricket.
At a tender age, he came into national prominence after showing skills of bowling at a pace higher than 140km per hour. It is worth noting that such speeds are rare among fast bowlers from the Kashmir valley.
Quick Profile
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Rasikh Salam Dar |
| Date of Birth | 5 April 2000 |
| Birthplace | Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) |
| Batting Style | Right-handed |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm fast medium |
| Domestic Team | Baroda (formerly Jammu and Kashmir) |
| Current IPL Team | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Former IPL Teams | Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals |
| Religion | Islam |
| Jersey Number | 44 (Delhi Capitals era) |
Early Life and Introduction to Cricket
Rasikh Salam is an Indian right-arm fast-bowler born on 5 April 2000 in Kulgam, a region in Jammu & Kashmir not famous for generating professional cricketers then. His first match was played in Budgam at the age of eight, signaling his love for cricket in early years.
His interest in the sport was observed by his parents and supported him as he started training at local cricket academies. Early in his career, Rasikh was trained by his cousin who helped him learn the basics of fast bowling prior to joining structured training centers.
As a youngster raised in Kashmir, the player was not offered the opportunities which usually come to players from established cricketing cities due to less infrastructure and fewer options available.
Early Rise in the Junior Circuit
It was in 2018 that the world got a glimpse of this young talent in the form of Rasikh playing for the Jammu & Kashmir Under-19 cricket team. The performance of this promising cricketer ensured that he rose through the ranks pretty quickly and became one of the top-notch cricketers of his grade.
Even by the year 2018-19, Rasikh had found himself in the senior domestic Jammu & Kashmir team taking part in the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
A Historic IPL Debut
Mumbai Indians signed this talented young fast bowler in 2019 and the player debuted in the IPL at an incredibly young age of 17 years and 353 days, making him the youngest ever to debut in the league for the franchise.
The selection of this young cricketer into the Mumbai Indians team is credited to former all-rounder of India Irfan Pathan, who was scouting for the player because of his pace and recommended his selection. Although at the beginning he faced rejections from other teams, this recommendation provided him with the opportunity of debuting in the IPL.
Debut in one of the most prestigious cricket leagues and playing alongside famous international players was one of the dreams of any cricket player, especially for a young boy from Kashmir.
A Ban that Almost Destroyed His Cricketing Journey
When Rasikh was only starting his cricketing journey, in 2019, he got suspended for two years by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) because of the discovery of the inconsistencies in his birth certificate and the guilty of providing an incorrect document to the officials.
This suspension was a massive hit for the cricketer who has just debuted in the biggest league, as many young players in his position lose all chances of returning to cricket after such a long break.
Although being suspended from the league, the young bowler continued his training sessions with Mumbai Indians.
The Long Road Back to Cricket
In 2021, after the suspension period had been completed, Rasikh returned to cricket playing in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. The youngster proved himself well and had an opportunity to return to IPL in the 2022 season through the mega auction, where he was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders at the base price of INR 20 lakh.
However, unfortunately, the luck was not with Rasikh and after his return, he sustained a back injury and could not take part in the 2022 IPL season because of it.
Still, the young cricketer did not give up and gradually recovered himself through participating in domestic tournaments during the 2023-24 season.
Breakthrough in Delhi Capitals
After many seasons, Rasikh Salam had a breakthrough when the player was signed by Delhi Capitals before the start of the 2024 IPL season. This signing gave an opportunity to show his best in the league, and Rasikh took nine wickets in eight matches of 2024 IPL.
The performance of Rasikh was good enough to be included into India’s squad in the 2024 Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Oman. Even though the team could not reach the finals of the tournament, Rasikh became the best bowler of the Indian squad.
Finally, all these years of struggles, injuries and suspensions paid off for Rasikh.
Bidding War and Big Money
Ahead of the 2025 IPL auction, Delhi Capitals decided to release Rasikh and this led to the bidding war between several franchises which wanted to sign the player. Eventually, Royal Challengers Bangalore turned to be the winner in this bidding and signed the player for the total sum of INR 6 crore.
Though the high-profile transfer was very beneficial for the cricketer, in the 2025 IPL season Rasikh did not play for the RCB, as this team won the title of the league and the player did not participate in any game of this tournament.
Domestic Franchise Change
After the 2025 IPL season, Rasikh decided to switch his domestic franchise from Jammu & Kashmir to Baroda before the 2025-26 domestic season.
Such decision can be viewed as a move to the new franchise by the player in hope of having more consistency and playing opportunities outside his hometown.
Even though Rasikh did not play for the RCB in the successful 2025 IPL season, the franchise kept him in the squad for the next season.
Emergence in 2026 IPL
Eventually, the 2026 IPL became a season of opportunity for Rasikh Salam. Representing the defending champions, the young player turned to be an integral part of the RCB bowling attack.
One of the most memorable moments in his IPL career became the game against Lucknow Super Giants in which he dismissed Ayush Badoni, Mukul Choudhary, and Avesh Khan in one spell and helped to bowl out LSG for 146. Such middle order bowling confirmed the talent which made this bowler attractive to scouts in his youth years.
The stats of Rasikh in the 2026 IPL were impressive: 5 wickets in 2 matches with average 9.4 and economy 6.88.
Career Snapshot: IPL Teams Over the Years
So far, Rasikh’s IPL career has witnessed the participation in four different teams in his career.
Mumbai Indians (2019): Youngest-ever debut player in franchise history
Kolkata Knight Riders (2022): Signing after the ban, prematurely ended because of the injury
Delhi Capitals (2024): Breakthrough year that resulted in Indian national team selection
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2025-present): High profile signing, then later an important bowler in 2026
Bowling Style and Strengths
The value of Rasikh Salam becomes obvious with his ability to maintain the pace above 140 kmph and use the swing balls with the new ball. These qualities allow him to be very efficient in the powerplay overs and also to score breakthrough wickets in the middle overs in T20 cricket.
His bowling technique is based on using the good areas with the pace rather than variations. This has become the reason why Rasikh managed to take some important wickets against Lucknow Super Giants in 2026 thanks to the ability to unnerve batters at his best.
Lessons from a Turbulent Career
Rasikh Salam’s story teaches us about resilience in the profession. Few players have faced all those challenges together: being disciplined in youth, injury which ruined his professional career after coming back to elite cricket after discipline, prolonged periods of not having any games although he was in a winning team in his side.
The player never let those things to be a barrier for his career and each time managed to bounce back, to reconstruct his career and to become once again a wicket taking bowler in IPL.
Why His Story Resonates
This career of Rasikh Salam carries special meaning because of its origin. The players from Jammu and Kashmir have always been in a less privileged position than other states of India in terms of access to IPL.
In this way this career of the player is not only a personal success but also a great example to follow for young cricketers who live in similar circumstances and see the way how talent and perseverance can overcome all difficulties.
Conclusion
Rasikh Salam’s career is an example of a player whose natural talent had been tested many times due to external factors: an age record for making IPL debut, discipline, injuries, extended periods of no games, followed by return to IPL in Delhi Capitals and finally to become a wicket taker in Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026.
From making his first IPL match in Kulgam to being able to bowl out the top order batters of the defending champions illustrates very rare mixture of raw pace, resilience and unwillingness to let the setbacks to ruin his future career.
Looking at his results in 2026, we can say that Rasikh Salam finally started converting years of struggles into good results and becoming one of the most interesting cases of comeback in Indian cricket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rasikh Salam?
Rasikh Salam Dar is an Indian right-arm fast-medium pace bowler hailing from the region of Kulgam, Jammu & Kashmir who at present is playing for the domestic team Baroda and IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Why did the BCCI ban Rasikh Salam for two years?
The BCCI banned Rasikh Salam in the year 2019 due to some discrepancies found on his birth certificate that he had submitted as part of his age verification process.
For which IPL teams did Rasikh Salam play?
Rasikh Salam has played for Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals and presently for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL.
How much did RCB pay for Rasikh Salam?
RCB paid Rs 6 crore for Rasikh Salam prior to the IPL 2025 season amidst stiff competition from other franchises.
Was Rasikh Salam part of RCB in their 2025 title-winning season?
No, even though Rasikh Salam was a part of the team, he did not get to play any game for RCB in their 2025 IPL title-winning season, but he got to play in 2026.
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