Delhi Capitals (DC) pace bowler Avesh Khan on Friday (May 7) said he has been performing laudably in the domestic cricket over the past two seasons, but it is the Indian Premier League (IPL) that has carried him into the spotlight and at the moment, his confidence is very high.
The 24-year-old pacer had played in only nine matches for Delhi across the last four IPL seasons – from 2017 to 2020, but this year, he played in all eight matches and was the joint second-highest wicket-taker alongside Chris Morris with 14 wickets before the T20 league got postponed due to COVID-19 crisis.
Following his impressive performance in the IPL 2021, Avesh was named as a backup in the Team India squad for the Test tour of England next month. The cricketer said his performance in the IPL 14 provided him a lot of confidence and was happy with his bowling show in the tournament.
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Avesh Khan told IANS on Friday: “I played all the matches [for Delhi Capitals] this time, so I was definitely feeling very confident. I bowled very well. The team also won matches. We were at the top of the table so I was feeling very confident.”
The pacer further added, “I got responsibility and I utilized it very well. I bowled at every stage – with the new ball, middle-overs, and death overs. The team's coaches and the captain gave me a lot of confidence so whatever situation I got I did really well every time.”
Indore-based bowler, who represents Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket, scalped 28 wickets in five Ranji Trophy matches in the 2019-20 season and then returned with 14 wickets in five matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season. He has the ability to take wickets and control the flow of runs.
He added, “I have been doing well in domestic cricket over the past two seasons, but IPL has got me into the limelight. In Mushtaq Ali too this year, I have 14 wickets in five matches.”
On being asked if switching from T20 mode to Test mode will be tough, Khan said: “Consistency on good length area is important there. The more I do that, the better it will be. Test match is about patience. The more you bowl with patience in good length area the better it will be.”
He also believes that the confidence gained from the IPL helps players a lot to do well at the highest level. The pacer continued, “Confidence in IPL helps. If you do well there, your confidence goes up. Focus improves and importantly, you learn to do well under pressure. We get the belief that we can do well at the international level, in Test matches too.”
The DC pacer further noted, “DC coach Ricky Ponting asked me to bowl with focus and give 100%. It helped with Rishabh as captain of DC, have played with him before. Whatever mistakes there were in the match, we [Rishabh and Khan] used to discuss after the match.”
He signed off by saying, “I have hired a dietician for fitness, and I have lost weight. I have controlled my eating habit a bit. Every day Sooraj [the dietician] gives me a different diet. The day I rest, the diet is different from the day I practice. Then, the match-day diet is different. That has helped me.”
(With IANS Inputs)
