Avesh Khan defended nine runs in the final over and guided LSG to a thrilling two-run win over RR.
Star India and Lucknow Super Giants pacer Avesh Khan has said that he wants to be the best version of himself and not try to become like Australia’s Mitchell Starc, who had earlier defended nine runs in the final over against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025.
While Avesh ended up conceding 37 runs in his four overs, he turned the game in Lucknow’s favour with two key wickets in the 18th over and a stunning final over in which he gave away just seven runs. “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. If I bowl with clarity, I execute it well,” Avesh said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Avesh bowled with precision under pressure, delivering yorkers at will, which led to comparisons with Starc’s heroics for Delhi Capitals. The right-arm pacer revealed that he had a clear plan heading into the final over, where he dismissed Shimron Hetmyer and gave away only seven runs to seal a dramatic two-run victory for LSG.
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“I don’t bowl, looking at the scorecard. I didn’t want to concede a boundary in the first three balls. And the batters would be under pressure. (On Miller’s drop) When the ball went up in the air, I thought he would catch it for sure,” he said.
Rajasthan needed just 46 runs in the final five overs with eight wickets in hand, but Avesh’s death-over brilliance changed the match’s course. “After he (Miller) dropped, just 4 runs were needed, there were a few doubts in my mind, one outside edge or inside edge could go for a boundary. I told myself to bowl a yorker on middle-leg,” Avesh added.
Avesh gave away only five runs and picked up two crucial wickets—Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal—in the 18th over, before holding his nerve in the final over to finish with match-winning figures of 3/37. Lucknow Super Giants will next face Delhi Capitals at home on April 22.
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