Rasikh Dar MI Pace Bowler IPL 2026 Profile: J&K Quick

Every year, the IPL widens the map of Indian cricket a little more. Rasikh Dar is part of that widening. A tall right-arm pacer from Jammu & Kashmir, he's pushed his way into the Mumbai Indians squad and has been trusted with real overs in pressure moments. This profile looks at his bowling style, role, and why MI see him as a long-term seam option.

Background and style

Rasikh Dar is from Jammu & Kashmir and came into the IPL ecosystem through the domestic circuit and MI's scouting pipeline. He is a tall right-arm pacer, which is where his strongest quality starts — he gets bounce from a good length. At his top pace, he pushes the mid-130s into the low-140s, and on a true wicket he can squeeze batters with steep length.

Key features of his game:

• Hit-the-deck pace. He doesn't rely on swing. He relies on bounce and skid.
• Good shoulder and wrist. He can hit hard lengths repeatedly.
• Developing slower ball. Still a work in progress, but improving.

He isn't a swing bowler. If the ball hoops around, MI turn to other options. His value is on wickets where length bounce and short-ball aggression matter — the WACA-style ideal that doesn't always exist in India but shows up on some tracks.

Role at Mumbai Indians

MI's approach with Rasikh Dar has been to use him as a match-up bowler. When the opposition has a top-three with strong bat-speed hitters who play square of the wicket, Rasikh's hard length becomes a weapon. Specifically:

• Middle-overs hard length. He's been used to break partnerships.
• Occasional new ball. Not his default role, but tried depending on matchup.
• Short-ball cordon. He'll bowl a planned short-ball phase against specific batters.

Strengths and watch-outs

Strengths

• Bounce from a good length.
• Consistency with heavy-ball hard-length approach.
• Height and release point make him awkward to attack square.

Watch-outs

• Yorker execution under pressure — still developing.
• Change-up variety beyond the slower bouncer.
• Control when asked to bowl full to left-handers.

Fantasy and Dream11 read

Rasikh Dar is a match-up Dream11 pick. On grounds where the wicket has bounce and opposition batters are boundary-hitters square of the wicket, he becomes a useful Grand League differential. On flat Indian surfaces where ball comes on evenly, his ceiling is more limited. Think of him as a situational bowler pick rather than a core one.

Why MI like him long-term

Tall Indian seamers who bowl 140+ with bounce are rare. Teams will pay a premium for them in two years. MI moving early on Rasikh Dar is the same logic they've applied many times before — invest early, coach patiently, reap the yield. If his yorker and change-up catch up with his hard length, he becomes a proper three-phase bowler, not just a matchup option.

FAQ

Q: Where is Rasikh Dar from? A: Jammu & Kashmir. He came up through the J&K domestic setup before joining MI.

Q: What's his bowling style? A: Right-arm fast-medium. He's a hit-the-deck bowler who uses bounce rather than swing.

Q: Is he worth picking in Dream11? A: On bouncy surfaces or against teams with boundary-hitters square of the wicket, yes — as a Grand League differential.

Related reading

• IPL 2026 Mumbai Indians Squad Analysis
• IPL 2026 Schedule: All Matches
• Dream11 Bowler Picks: Bounce vs Swing Conditions