Bengaluru, April 20 -- Rasikh Salam Dar's rise to the IPL has been built on persistence, with the fast bowler overcoming early challenges in Jammu & Kashmir and long periods away from the game on his way to RCB. That resilience has already been evident on the field this season.

Playing his first game of the season at the Wankhede Stadium, Rasikh returned with figures of 1/23, making an immediate impact. He was handed a crucial over at a crucial stage of the game, but things quickly became physically challenging.

"When I came on to bowl, I got a cramp, something I had never experienced before," Rasikh said, as per a press release from RCB. "After almost every ball, I was cramping. I was falling over while delivering, and I couldn't even ...