T20 World Cup 2021: Avesh Khan to stay with Team India as a net bowler

Uncapped Delhi Capitals seamer Avesh Khan will stay back in the UAE and join the Indian squad as a net bowler for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

The Madhya Pradesh seamer has become the second seamer to be asked by the BCCI to stay back with the Virat Kohli-led unit for the marquee T20I event. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s tearaway sensation Umran Malik was the first.

According to the PTI report, there is also a possibility of Khan getting added to the standby list.

“The national selectors have decided to also include Avesh in the mix. As of now, he will be a net bowler but if the team management feels, he can be upgraded,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by PTI.

”Avesh bowls at an average speed of 142 to 145 clicks, earns disconcerting bounce from the flattest of decks and has been on support staff’s radar for some time,” the source added.

Khan is the second-highest wicket-taker in the ongoing IPL season. In 15 games for the Delhi Capitals (DC), the tall pacer has claimed 23 wickets at an average of 18.61.

Avesh Khan has been one of the finds of IPL 2021

Avesh Khan’s stocks have parachuted to the hilt over the course of the past seven months.

The right-arm pacer has impressed with his consistent performances in clutch situations in the absence of the likes of Anrich Nortje and Ishant Sharma during the first leg of the ongoing season. His consistent performances earned him a spot in India’s squad for the England tour as a net bowler.

Khan featured in the one-off practice game against County Select XI in the lead-up to the Test series against England but unfortunately ended up injuring his hand while bowling. He was eventually ruled out of the remainder of the tour.

Khan returned to action for DC in the UAE leg of IPL 2021 and picked up from where he had left off during the India phase. However, the lack of experience in crunch situations seems to have gotten the better of him in the last two matches against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

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Avesh Khan dished out a full toss on the final delivery of the game against RCB, which KS Bharat went on to smash for a six. The 24-year-old had another poor outing in Qualifier 1 as he once again failed to nail his yorkers at the death.

The pacer will look to exorcize the demons from the previous two outings in Qualifier 2 against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and cap off his breakout season on a high.