Avesh Khan ready to “adapt and deliver” as red-ball chance comes calling

Avesh Khan plays cricket with a giant heart and with ferocious pride. He has an animated celebration after taking a wicket yet off the field, he comes across as a simple Indori boy who loves his Poha and Jalebi. 

Remember his celebration after dismissing MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Andre Russell? And the abuses that he had to cop on social media because of that? However, very few noticed his humbleness to reach out to those cricketers and get the jersey signed post-match. Because it genuinely mattered to him. Compromising on his cricket was never an option.

That’s the fulcrum on which his nascent career has been built and after being named in the 21-member squad as a stand-by for the World Test Championship and the subsequent England series, all he thinks about is growing and growing every single day. Ecstasy, as he believes, can only come after helping the team win.

“I am really happy and will try to continue my IPL rhythm in England as well,” Avesh tells Cricket.com. 

“In the last two years, I have developed many variations which were one of the major reasons for success in the IPL. But, the red-ball format is more about being consistent. I have been playing first-class cricket for 7-8 years now. I played India A cricket and I hope I can use that experience,” adds Avesh, who has 100 First-class wickets at an average of 23.01 in 26 matches. 

“I have bowled with Dukes Ball for India A against Windies. In England, the conditions will be pretty different but I am confident that I can adapt to that. In 2019, when I was in England as a part of the extra squad for the World Cup, I bowled mostly with a white ball. But that’s the fun part - getting to the thick of things as soon as possible this time.”

With 14 wickets from 8 games for Delhi Capitals this season, Avesh was a run-away contender for the purple cap, with RCB’s Harshal Patel fading away once their caravan moved to Mumbai from Chennai. Delving deep into what helped him hold his fort this season, Avesh credited the confidence shown by his captain Rishabh Pant as well as senior pro Ishant Sharma’s inputs in every situation.

“Ishant Bhai really helped me in identifying areas and when I should execute slower balls and when I should hold back. Having him around was a massive help. With Ishant Bhai on my side, I got to learn how to implement the slower balls successfully.

“On top of that, Rishabh is a very good captain as well. Our communication has always been good since our junior cricket days. He gave me the freedom to bowl according to my plans. If there’s any mistakes in the game, we would sit down after the game and talk it out. It was really helpful in a way that Rishabh is a very aggressive captain and is ready to take the chances,” the Madhya Pradesh pacer added.