Avesh Khan set to join Team India as net bowler
New Delhi, Oct 12: Delhi Capitals speedster Avesh Khan has been asked by the BCCI to stay back in the UAE after the IPL to join India's T20 World Cup squad as a net bowler.
The 24-year-old is the second fast bowler, after Kashmiri pace sensation Umran Malik, who has been asked to join the team and if BCCI sources are to be believed, the lanky fast bowler could well make it to the standby list by the time World Cup starts on Sunday. India will open their campaign on October 24 against Pakistan.
"The national selectors have decided to also include Avesh in the mix. As of now, he will be a net bowler but if the team management feels, he can be upgraded," a BCCI source close to the selection committee told PTI on Tuesday.
Avesh bowls at an express pace and in this edition of the IPL, he has picked 23 wickets for the Capitals with DC still alive in the competition.
He is second in the list of wicket-takers with Harshal Patel leading the pack with 32 scalps.
"Avesh bowls at an average speed of 142 to 145 clicks, earns disconcerting bounce from the flattest of decks and has been on support staff's radar for some time," the source said.
Avesh was in England with the Test squad as a standby but a freak finger fracture during India's match against Combined Counties cut short his tour.
Many believe that Avesh had a good chance of playing had he got into the squad and all five Tests were held in England.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya will be staying with the Indian team but is expected to play purely as a batter in the T20 World Cup as his back is still not in a condition to take the stress of fast medium bowling.
It is learnt that KKR's rising opener-cum-seam bowler Venkatesh Iyer will be asked to stay in the bubble as cover.
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TMC will be voted back to power in Bengal: Tejashwi Yadav
Patna (PTI): Leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, on Tuesday exuded confidence that the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC will again be voted to power in West Bengal.
Yadav returned to Patna after a four-day poll campaign in West Bengal.
“The atmosphere there is euphoric and people want to bring Didi (Mamata Banerjee) back to power. I am fully confident that the TMC will win the election,” he told reporters here.
He said that a large number of people from Bihar living in West Bengal share a lot of love and respect for Mamata Banerjee.
Responding to BJP’s allegations that the TMC had “ruined” West Bengal during its tenure, the RJD leader said the “entire country has been ruined under the Narendra Modi-led government”.
“I want to ask one question to Modi ji – you have been prime minister for more than 11 years, tell me one thing you have done for Bengal,” Yadav said.
The first phase of elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
