Gujarat Titans spinner R Sai Kishore strongly defended teammate Rashid Khan’s form after their 39-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Kishore brushed aside suggestions that Rashid was having a poor tournament, despite the Afghan leg-spinner managing just six wickets in eight games this season. However, on Monday at Eden Gardens, Rashid showed glimpses of his best, returning figures of 2/25, his best performance of the season, as GT restricted KKR to 159/8 while chasing 199. His wickets of Sunil Narine and Andre Russell helped break KKR’s momentum at a crucial stage. Also READ: ‘Even a kid would say match was fixed’: RR face match-fixing storm When asked by commentator Nick Knight whether Rashid’s season has been underwhelming, Kishore was quick to offer support, calling him “one of the best T20 bowlers in the world.” He also took a subtle dig at those in the commentary box questioning Rashid’s form. "He's one of the best T20 bowlers in the world. He's getting his wicket-taking knack back. As a team, we don't doubt his abilities, I don't know what it's like in the commentary box. We all believe in him and I still believe he's the best T20 bowler in the world," Kishore said. Knight responded by saying, “We never doubt him. That's why we want him to do well.” Sai Kishore explains his plans to Andre Russell Apart from defending Rashid, Kishore reflected on his own bowling plans, especially against the dangerous Andre Russell. He finished with 1/19 in his three overs, playing a key role in GT’s sixth win of the season. "There was enough purchase in the wicket, in the second innings even more. That total was very good to defend. (While bowling to Russell) I tried to change the angles a little so that the deviations were different every time, the situation was good enough for me to attack," he explained. Kishore also praised GT’s fielding effort and stressed that the team is continuing to work on specific areas as the tournament enters a crucial phase. "Our fielding was very good today, we're addressing things to get better," he added. With this win, GT sit at the top of the table with six wins and two losses from their eight matches. They will return to action on April 28, where they will face the Rajasthan Royals.