From driving an auto rickshaw to leading Mumbai's bowling attack, Juned hits the fast lane
Lucknow: The 24-year-old pacer Mohammad Juned Khan, who made his first-class debut for Mumbai in the Irani Cup, now dreams of representing the 42-time Ranji Trophy champions. His remarkable journey, from a small town in Uttar Pradesh to the Mumbai team, showcases determination and perseverance.
In his debut match, Juned made an instant impact by taking a big first wicket, dismissing Rest of India’s captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, for 9 runs. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane handed him the team’s cap just before the five-day Irani Cup match at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, a moment Juned had long awaited.
His journey to Mumbai’s squad was not easy. Hailing from a farming family in Kannauj, 127 km from Lucknow, Juned moved to Mumbai in 2014 in search of work. He initially worked as a helper in a jeans factory in Andheri and later started driving an auto rickshaw from 2015 to 2018. It was in 2019 that he joined Sanjeevani Cricket Academy after meeting his mentor, Abhishek Nayar.
“Abhishek Sir saw my passion and advised me to quit driving the auto and focus entirely on cricket. It changed my life,” Juned recalls. Without proper bowling spikes, he continued training with rubber studs, determined to make a name for himself in cricket.
Juned’s hard work paid off when he was roped in as a net bowler by Kolkata Knight Riders and subsequently performed well in local club cricket, Karnataka Cricket Association events, and the Bucchi Babu Tournament.
Despite living with his auto driver friends in Bandra, Mumbai, Juned remains focused on his goal to clock 140-145 kmph in the upcoming Ranji Trophy matches. He currently bowls at around 130 kmph but aims to increase his speed and draw inspiration from fast bowlers like Mohammed Shami.
“Playing alongside seasoned bowlers like Mukesh Kumar was a great learning experience,” says Juned, who hopes to replicate his success in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season.
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Andhra to be developed as knowledge, creator economy hub: CM Naidu
New Delhi/Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the state is taking steps to transform itself into a knowledge and creator economy hub with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
He noted that Andhra Pradesh has abundant tech-driven youth and the government is formulating plans to train them in futuristic technologies with support from global technology firms.
"Our goal is to transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge hub by focusing on AI, quantum computing, data centres, drone cities and space cities. The youth will remain our biggest asset over the next 25 years, and we seek global partnerships to scale up the creator economy," said Naidu during his interactions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi.
Naidu, who participated in the summit in the national capital, also held meetings with several global technology leaders and industrialists to explore collaborations in artificial intelligence, clean energy and innovation ecosystems.
He met Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Autodesk AI Head Mike Haley, Aramco India Director Abdul Rehman AiThukair, LEGO Education Vice President Tom Hall, Aadhaar Founder and CTO Srikanth Nadhamuni, Khosla Ventures Managing Partner Vinod Khosla and others at the AP Pavilion.
The chief minister also held discussions with Saudi Aramco representatives on clean energy projects, including solar initiatives, and invited the company to expand operations in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the state is highly suitable for green energy production.
He sought support from NVIDIA Vice President Callista Redmond for establishing AI Living Labs and proposed partnerships through the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub to promote youth innovation, including collaborations with IIT Tirupati and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati under the Andhra Pradesh Future Innovation and Research for Science and Technology (AP FIRST) initiative.
Naidu urged Autodesk leadership to support the development of Global Capability Centres in design engineering and requested the establishment of an Innovation Academy in Amaravati aligned with quantum technology, besides proposing AI and robotics learning labs in partnership with LEGO Education.
He also discussed AI-driven smart governance solutions with Quantela Inc Chairman Sridhar Gadhi, while World Bank Group Digital AI Regional Director Mahesh Uttamchandani met Naidu on the sidelines of the summit.
Following the meetings, Naidu visited various exhibition stalls at the summit, including those of NVIDIA, Tata, Intel and Microsoft, and reviewed AI applications across agriculture, healthcare and industry.
