Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has picked Avesh Khan as his ‘under the radar’ player of the tournament. Sehwag was impressed by Delhi Capitals fast bowler as he bowled at the top of his game and did a fine job for the team. Avesh scalped 14 wickets in the eight matches he played and he was at the second place in the list of highest wicket-takers of IPL 2021 behind Royal Challengers Bangalore’s medium pacer Harshal Patel.
Khan impressed with his raw pace and he was right on the money with his line and length. The fast bowler from Indore also scalped two three-wicket hauls as he delivered for Delhi Capitals.
Furthermore, the right-arm fast bowler bowled with an average of 16.50 and an impressive economy rate of 7.70. In fact, as Avesh Khan bowled superbly for Delhi Capitals, the franchise didn’t even give a chance to Anrich Nortje, who had a fine job for the team in the previous season.
“In this team, we talk about Rabada, Ashwin, Patel, Mishra but no one talks about Avesh Khan. He is this season’s under-the-radar player. He comes quietly, picks up 2-3 wickets and was [up there in the race for Purple Cap], next only to Harshal Patel,” Virender Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
On the other hand, former Zimbabwe cricketer and now a commentator Pommie Mbangwa also praised Avesh Khan for his accurate bowling.
“No doubt, it’s Avesh Khan. I don’t think there’s been too much said about him, or written about him. But he’s just gone about doing his job efficiently. He’s been effective at the front and at the end. He’s taken wickets in all three phases of the game and at the death too, he has been very good at bowling nice lengths, changing his pace when needed to and bowling good yorkers at the back end,” Mbangwa said.
Avesh Khan also got the big wickets of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli and it must have added a shot in his arm. Khan was able to provide crucial breakthroughs in the powerplay overs and also bowled accurately in the death overs.
Meanwhile, DC won six out of the eight matches they played and were at the top of the points table before the tournament was suspended indefinitely by BCCI.