Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Andhra’s Shaik Rasheed credits visualisation and mindset training for early season success
When the experienced pace spearhead of the opposition you’ve scored runs against appreciates your innings, it’s a good measure of your performance.
Tamil Nadu’s Sandeep Warrier tipped his hat off to Andhra’s Shaik Rasheed, who played the lone ranger with an unbeaten 87 (150b, 8×4, 2×6) in the ongoing Ranji Trophy match here on Sunday. “The wicket is actually not that easy, to be honest. Scoring runs is not that easy. Rasheed played an extraordinary innings,” gushed Warrier.
“Actually, the wicket was tricky with seam movement. So, I just looked to play straight, and not across the line. Looked to play close to the body as well,” explained Rasheed.
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The 21-year-old has been prolific this season, having scored 375 in four innings with two hundreds and a fifty. Thanks to three unbeaten innings, he averages a staggering 375!
Asked if he worked on anything specific pre-season, he said: “I worked on my mindset, actually. I trained my mind to play for longer periods – to bat through the day. And I practice visualisation. It’s really helpful.”
Even his Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach, Michael Hussey, has been encouraging him to focus on scoring “big daddies (big hundreds),” he said. “He works on my mindset – like, how to control my mindset and not think too far ahead,” he added.
Andhra coach Gary Stead has impressed upon him the importance of consistency. “After I scored 136 in the first match (against Uttar Pradesh), he told me: ‘This is not the end. If you keep following your routine and maintain consistency, everyone will talk about you!’” he said.
Rasheed, who said that he looks up to Joe Root, is a busy batter like him in terms of collecting singles. “I like to run a lot,” he simply put it.
Published on Nov 09, 2025
