“I Don’t Want To Be Mitchell Starc..”: Avesh Khan After Heroic Final Over Against RR

April 20, 2025: On April 19, Avesh Khan became the hero for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a nerve-wracking finish against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. RR, chasing a target of 182, were cruising at 156/2 after 17 overs, needing just 25 runs from 18 balls. But Avesh’s superb bowling in the death overs proved to be the turning point, guiding LSG to a remarkable 2-run victory.

In what could be his best spell in the IPL to date, Avesh delivered a game-changing performance. He first struck in the 18th over, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal and RR’s stand-in captain Riyan Parag, both set batters, putting the brakes on RR’s chase. But it was in the final over that Avesh’s brilliance truly shone. Defending 9 runs, he removed Shimron Hetmyer and then kept his composure, despite a dramatic moment when a drop catch almost gave RR a chance to win.

Speaking about his approach, Avesh, named ‘Player of the Match’, revealed that his focus was solely on executing his yorkers with clarity. “I don’t want to become Mitchell Starc, I just want to become a good Avesh Khan. Yorker is my strength, and I try to execute it,” he said after the match.

In the final over, Avesh bowled two perfect yorkers — the first one saw Hetmyer dismissed, and the second one was a full toss which Shubham Dubey couldn’t clear. Despite a dropped catch from David Miller, Avesh kept his cool. With 4 runs required off the last ball, Avesh delivered another pinpoint yorker that ensured LSG’s victory.

“When the ball went up in the air, I thought he would catch it for sure. After he dropped it, just 4 runs were needed, and I had doubts. I thought, one outside edge or inside edge could go for a boundary,” Avesh admitted in the post-match presentation. “I told myself to bowl a yorker on middle-leg. I think about the team, I just wanted to win the match. This is a big tournament, I will try to bowl the same way in the remaining matches,” he added.

However, Avesh’s performance came at a cost — he was hit on his hand and boot during the final over. Despite fearing he had broken his hand, Avesh revealed that it wasn’t the case. “My hand is fine, thought I broke it, hit my bone, I couldn’t celebrate,” the 28-year-old said.

This thrilling win marked LSG’s fifth victory from eight games, and they currently sit fourth on the points table. With Avesh Khan’s brilliant death-over performance, Lucknow continued their impressive run, and now they will look to carry their momentum forward when they face Delhi Capitals (DC) at home on April 22.

LSG’s resilience in tight situations, especially their death-bowling capabilities, has been a key factor in their success, and Avesh’s match-winning performance against Rajasthan Royals will be remembered as one of the standout moments of their season.