Hunger is very important in sports, it is tough to perform without it: Rashid Khan

The 26th IPL 2025 match between the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will be played at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Rashid Khan, the leg-spinner for GT, has had a slow season thus far and is still hoping to go back to his best in the 2025 Indian Premier League. The 26-year-old spinner emphasised the value of hunger in sports and said that it’s more important to concentrate on the performance, effort, and process than it is on the outcome.

“You are aware of how crucial hunger is. In athletics, you should have that wherever you are. It’s challenging to compete there if you lack that hunger because the outcome is determined at the end. Why consider it first if it comes at the end? Consider the first thing we begin with.

It’s hard to perform there if you don’t have that hunger,” Rashid Khan stated in an IPL video.

According to Justin Langer, hunger is like an addiction.

Referencing Brian Lara’s philosophy, LSG head coach Justin Langer emphasised the significance of hunger in legendary players. Top athletes have a strong drive to succeed, train harder, maintain better health, and never stop trying to get better, the former Australian cricket player stressed. This motivation, which pushes them to always improve their game, frequently turns into an addiction, the former Australian coach continued.

Brian Lara once told me, “JL, when I have a good day, I make sure I have a great day,” as I recall. The finest players’ most crucial component is their extraordinary appetite. As a result, they practise, exercise harder, maintain their health, and just want more. It’s really of addicting,” Langer remarked.

With four victories and one defeat from five games, GT is presently leading the points table. In the meantime, LSG is currently in third place in the points table after winning three of their five games and losing two of them.