Indian Premier League newbies Lucknow Super Giants have been served well by rookie pacer Mohsin Khan. The left-arm pacer from Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, who made his IPL debut this season, has claimed 13 wickets across the first eight games at an impressive economy of 5.93.
Mohsin Khan played his maiden IPL game on March 28. It was LSG vs Gujarat Titans match in IPL 2022. The 23-year-old speedster returned figures of 0/18 in his two overs.
An indifferent performance in his maiden game saw Mohsin Khan warming the benches for almost one month before making a sensational return in the playing XI. Mohsin now makes a lethal combination with Avesh Khan, another young pacer whose life changed at the IPL auction 2022 by winning a 10 crore INR deal with Lucknow.
A Story of Grit And Patience
To wait for a chance wasn’t a big issue for someone like Mohsin Khan, who stayed on the sidelines for three years despite being part of the Mumbai Indians squad. While Mohsin picked 1/27 in his second IPL game for Lucknow Super Giants, he got better with figures of 3/24 and 4/16 in the next games.
“He (Mohsin Khan) has been brilliant, played him in the nets first time a month ago, didn’t want to face him, seriously. He was sharp, he’s scary at times in the nets. It’s not just the pace, he has a good brain, has a bit of skill as well, has a great slower one and he knows when to use them," KL Rahul had said after the UP bowler's four-wicket haul.
The left-arm angle Mohsin creates, alongside the added bounce that he extracts from the surface makes him a tough bowler to play, especially for the right-handed batsmen. He was picked by LSG for INR 20 lakh at IPL auctions 2022.
“I waited three years for an opportunity. My parents used to say that it was their dream to watch me play in an IPL match. Now that I’m playing, my parents are the happiest. I’m very happy as well, I’m fulfilling their dream. I dedicate my performance to them,” Mohsin said during an interaction with his IPL teammate Deepak Hooda.
A Bowler Who Loved Batting
Mohsin Khan was not serious about his bowling at the start of his cricket career and it was batting that he loved more. His childhood coach Badruddin Siddiqui pushed him to become a fast bowler after noticing that the boy got a good height at the age of 12. Apart from training Mohsin, the coach kept monitoring his activities to make sure he stays on track.
Despite being picked by Mumbai Indians, Mohsin Khan didn’t get to play a game. He was frustrated but Siddiqui advised him to learn as much as possible from the likes of Lasith Malinga and Zaheer Khan in the MI camp.
Later, Mohsin Khan also trained with another Uttar Pradesh bowling star Mohammed Shami from where he learnt the art of reverse swing and seam bowling.
Mohsin Khan, who made his domestic debut in 2018 for his home state Uttar Pradesh, has played 17 List A games taking 26 wickets. Out of the 34 T20s, he has claimed 46 wickets. His economy in the format is extremely impressive (6.80) and it is evident in the ongoing IPL season.
