One more thriller of IPL 2025, one more last-over drama. But this time in the spotlight is the Lucknow Super Giants pace bowler Avesh Khan, who snatched the victory from Rajasthan Royals on the strength of his courage and perfect yorkers that never wavered under pressure.
RR needed only 9 runs in the last over of the match, and at the crease were Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel – both specialist finishers. The situation was the same as it was in the Super Over match a few days ago. But this time the ball was in Avesh’s hands, and he didn’t move an inch from his plan – fully committed to the yorker.
In the first over, Avesh was beaten by 14-year-old debutant Vaibhav Suryavanshi. After that his over went for 13 runs. But the captain kept faith in him and kept him in the remaining three overs till the last 5. When 46 runs were needed in the last 5 overs, the pressure was on Avesh – and that very moment became a game-changer for him.
Avesh thought of only one thing: execute. Neither think of the wicket nor the dot ball. Just execution. When Hetmyer changed the angle, Avesh bowled the ball on the stump-line – and luck was with him as the fielder was there where the shot was taken.
According to IPL data, the bowler who has bowled the most yorkers after Bumrah is Avesh – since 2021, he has hit 126 yorkers. In death overs, this number is 88, while for Bumrah it is 76. But yorker is such a weapon that it is very difficult to master it – if you bowl it wrongly, it either becomes a full toss or a half-volley, both are scoring deliveries.
Avesh knows that when a yorker lands in the right place, it is difficult to answer it, no matter how aggressive the batsman is. He adjusted the yorkers according to the field setup – sometimes wide, sometimes stump-line. He forced Jaiswal to bowl, Parag to LBW, and Hetmyer to flick past the short fine fielder.
Post-match he said, “I only focus on the execution. Whether I need 15 or 20, my plan remains the same – bowl the yorker, with 100% commitment. There is pressure when we watch from outside, but on the ground I only think about where to land the ball.”
Avesh Khan’s calm mindset, clarity in plans, and relentless execution made the difference that night. Sometimes cricket is not just a game of skills, but also of mental strength. And Avesh showed how even under apressure, by sticking to your basics, you can win the match.
This innings was not just a victory, it was a message: that Avesh Khan is not just a bowler, he is also a finisher – with the ball.
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