Lucknow Super Giants’ Mohsin Khan celebrates a goal against Delhi Capitals’ Nitish Rana during their Indian Premier League 2026 match at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday. NEW DELHI: Wednesday night was a special one for Badruddin Siddiqui. Two of his charges, whom he had coached since their early teens, played in tandem for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) against Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.Mohammed Shami struck with his first ball and removed KL Rahul. Mohsin Naqvi dropped the wicket-maiden, dismissed Nitish Rana and left man of the match Sameer Rizvi, his Uttar Pradesh teammate, in search of runs. In his first three overs, Mohsin gave away six runs and Rizvi managed just two of the ten balls he faced. Tristan Stubbs was quick to run out four sixes off the left-armer.
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Mukul Choudhary on LSG’s game plan: foster partnership and stay fearlessMohsin was all Rizvi and Stubbs, but it wasn’t his bowling that impressed Badruddin the most. On the fifth ball of the 12th over, the 27-year-old dived at full stretch to save two runs at third man. Mohsin’s effort made Badruddin jump off the sofa.“Now the fight is over (He’s not scared anymore),” Badruddin tells TimesofIndia.com. “If a fast bowler whose career has been marred by injuries is diving in the field, it only means one thing. He is supremely fit,” he explains.
It’s his fault. He is a gifted athlete. But nowadays, young people are fascinated with gym and posting videos on social media.
Badruddin Siddiqui | Coach
After bursting onto the scene in IPL 2022, picking up 14 wickets in 10 matches at an impressive economy rate of 5.96, he was close to a call-up to India but suffered a serious shoulder injury and was out of competitive cricket for the entire year. He was not fit for the first half of IPL 2023 but made a great comeback by saving 11 runs against Mumbai Indians in the last match.He has had a career-threatening shoulder, groin injury in the last four years and the worst phase came when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee while playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Mohsin Khan of Lucknow Super Giants bowls during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra) (
“Injuries become a part and parcel of any fast bowler. But Mohsin was a bit unlucky,” says Badruddin.Fortunately, he had Mohammad Shami by his side in all those frustrating years. Mohsin stays at Shami’s farmhouse in Alinagar, Bihar.“Shami helped him a lot, right from the start. It was during the lockdown that Shami started living and training at his farm. The results were there for everyone to see in IPL 2022,” says Badruddin.
A fast bowler should practice on the ground. If you want to jump at a speed of 140 km/h, you have to work hard on the field. Gym se bowling improve nahi hoti (Your bowling will not improve in the gym)
Badruddin Siddiqui | Coach
Badruddin blames Mohsin’s lifestyle for his downfall and injuries.“It’s his fault. He’s a gifted athlete. But these days, young people have such a fascination with the gym and posting videos on social media,” he says.Badruddin shares a conversation that took place after the IPL last year between Shami and Mohsin.
Lucknow: Lucknow Super Giants player Mohsin Khan was injured during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 T20 cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. (PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan)(
“We had tea at Shami’s farmhouse and Mohsin was just coming out of the gym. I remember Shami’s words, “Mohsin Miyaan, you get your body from the gym, not from bowling.“ (The gym can shape your body, not your bowling),” laughs Badruddin.The stern remark from Shami Mohsin shocked. “His jaw dropped,” recalls Badruddin.“A fast bowler should practice on the ground. If you want to bowl at 140 kmph, you have to toil on the pitch. Gym bowling improves nahi hoti (Your bowling will not improve in the gym),” he says.Mohsin is six feet three inches tall and Badruddin feels his hard lengths rush more than Shami.
Mohsin miyaan, gym se body ban jayegi, bowling nahi (The gym can shape your body, not your bowling).
Mohammd Shami to Mohsin Khan
“Mohsin is tall and his ball climbs faster than Shami. You tell me how many left-arm quicks can swing the ball both ways at 140 km/h and generate such a steep bounce. No one in India at the moment,” he praises his charge.What Mohsin has done over the past twelve months is to go back to basics. He runs, bowls and trains relentlessly, with Shami shouting from behind:Is India playing or not? (Do you want to play for India or not?)”“He has also realized the importance of fitness in these months. He is 27 and at best he can play for another five to six years, but if he improves his fitness he can extend it by another two years,” he says.
Chennai: Lucknow Super Giants’ Mohsin Khan during a practice session ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 T20 cricket match against Chennai Super Kings’ at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. (PTI Photo/R Senthilkumar)(
Mohsin has not only changed his lifestyle under Shami in these months but also worked on his bowling.“He worked on his wrist position. He added a few more steps to his run. It helped him get more rhythm,” he says.
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But for Badruddin, in Mohsin’s return to competitive cricket after almost two years, the most satisfying part of his playing remained in the field.“We haven’t delved into my life to date. (He never dived in his life). The good thing is that he is no longer afraid,” he says.
