Hyderabad: Content with the way he has been performing for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the tournament's newest trailblazer Avesh Khan's "ultimate dream" remains to play for the country which he describes as the "best feeling" one can get while sharing the dressing room with the Indian players.
A staggering 22 wickets in 14 matches so far for DC this season, Avesh is only behind tournament's another find -- Royal Challengers Bangalore's Harshal Patel, who is topping the charts with 30 wickets in as many matches.
While the 21-year old right-arm pacer from Madhya Pradesh never had any idol growing up, he has loved the attitude and intent with which Ishant Sharma bowls in Test cricket.
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Confident of his team clinching the elusive trophy, Delhi's up and coming sensation, in an exclusive conversation with Etv Bharat, shares his journey and his learnings from one of the best in the business -- Ricky Ponting.
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Just the kind of start we wanted 💙 @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/SLotUZjTlK
— Avesh Khan (@Avesh_6) September 22, 2021 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Just the kind of start we wanted 💙 @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/SLotUZjTlK
— Avesh Khan (@Avesh_6) September 22, 2021Just the kind of start we wanted 💙 @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/SLotUZjTlK
— Avesh Khan (@Avesh_6) September 22, 2021
Excerpts:
Q1. Everyone is talking about your yorkers which you seemed to be landing at will. What's the secret?
A. I have practiced bowling the yorker quite a lot. The yorker is priceless, especially in pressure situations, because it's difficult to put away yorkers for runs. I practice bowling yorkers by placing a shoe or a cone. I bowl 10-12 yorkers in every practice session. When I bowl the yorker properly during practice then I gain a lot of confidence.
Q2. What have you learned from each of the DC's bowlers -- Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje?
A. I have had the opportunity to learn a lot from Rabada and Nortje. We discuss a lot about what kind of deliveries to bowl during matches. After whoever between the two bowls the first over, I go and ask them about how the wicket is playing and what kind of deliveries would work on that particular wicket. Whenever something is going right for me, I share my thoughts with Rabada and Nortje as well.
Q3. Who was your idol growing up? In the current Indian squad, a bowler you look up to?
A. I have never had a role model per se, but I have learned a lot from 5-6 bowlers. I used to love watching Dale Steyn bowl. And I really like watching Shami bhai and Ishant bhai's bowling as well. I watch with what kind of attitude they bowl their deliveries, especially in the red-ball format. I really enjoy watching these bowlers bowl, but I don't have a role model.
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Q4. How influential has Ricky Ponting been in your career so far?
A. Ricky sir always speaks positively and tells us that if we plan well and execute the plan, then the result will always be in our favor. He always tells us to focus on the process. I get goosebumps whenever he speaks during meetings. And he's always available for a chat on anything. He is always there to help a player and give advice. He is a legend player but is a good coach as well.
Q5. How positive are you about Delhi winning the IPL this year?
A. Winning the IPL is certainly our ultimate goal, but we can't get too ahead of ourselves. We have played really well as a unit this season and we'll just look to keep improving with every match. We'll take it one match at a time and see how we progress. We are definitely confident about our chances of winning the IPL, but we have to go step by step.
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We continue to ROAR 🔥
— Avesh Khan (@Avesh_6) October 2, 2021 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
What a team 💙#WeRoarTogether pic.twitter.com/KZuxw6Jisz
">We continue to ROAR 🔥
— Avesh Khan (@Avesh_6) October 2, 2021
What a team 💙#WeRoarTogether pic.twitter.com/KZuxw6JiszWe continue to ROAR 🔥
— Avesh Khan (@Avesh_6) October 2, 2021
What a team 💙#WeRoarTogether pic.twitter.com/KZuxw6Jisz
Q6. What it would be like to play for India and share the dressing room with the country's best?
A. Playing for India is certainly the ultimate dream. And I am sure it will be the best feeling in the world when I bowl for India and share the dressing room with the country's best players. However, I am happy with the way I have been bowling in the IPL and I just want to continue putting in good performances for whichever team I play for.
Ayushmaan Pandey
