The Indian Premier League has been a breeding ground for countless cricket talents. While some, like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, have established themselves as household names, many others have faded into obscurity after brief stints in the tournament. However, there’s another category of players: the talented ones who, despite their potential, haven’t been given enough opportunities. One such name is Zahoor Khan, a Pakistan-born pacer who was forced to relocate to the UAE to pursue his dream of playing top-level cricket.
Zahoor, who joined the Mumbai Indians as a net bowler in 2014, had the opportunity to train alongside some of the franchise’s most iconic players. When the IPL was relocated to the UAE in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Zahoor’s impressive performances in the nets caught the attention of everyone, including Bumrah. In fact, Zahoor revealed that Bumrah was so impressed by his slower deliveries that he asked him for tips on gripping the ball.
“I was with Mumbai Indians for three months. I’ve spent reasonable amount of time with Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah in fact liked me so much and asked me the grip. Yeh slower ball kaise dalte ho? (How do you bowl this delivery This is a huge deal for me as he is the world’s No. 1 bowler, and he asked me about the grip. He watched my video as well in the T10 tournament where I bowled a maiden. I told him but also asked him how he bowls Yorkers with the new ball. Because only 2 people in the world can do it – Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah,” Zahoor told Sports Tak in a chat.
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Zahoor’s memorable experiences weren’t limited to Bumrah. Even former captain Rohit Sharma was impressed by his slower deliveries. Ten years ago, when Zahoor first joined MI, he was warmly welcomed by the skipper, who told the pacer, ‘The entire stadium is yours, paaji. If you need anything, just let me know.’ And cut to 2024, Zahoor revealed that Rohit’s friendly demeanour has remained unchanged over the years.
When Zahoor Khan impressed Rohit Sharma
“I even bowled to Rohit Sharma. Once I bowled him a slower ball, and he kept on looking because the ball hardly reached him. Even he couldn’t pick my deliveries. He was like how can it be so slow? Then I bowled at him again. He said even if the batter picks your ball, it will never result in a six.”
Given the opportunity, Zahoor, who recently participated in the Global T20 Canada, would love to come back and spend more time with Mumbai Indians. But even that isn’t to be, Zahoor loves, cherishes and absolutely adores his time with the MI and its bigshots.
Rohit… where do I even begin to speak about him? He’s a legend. The way he speaks and conducts himself. When I was with MI, Rohit would have his food with the same guys who would carry our luggage. As for Bumrah, he is a superstar. He was injured for a year all right but look what he has done since his return. He has shown that he is back. He too is a wonderful human being,” Zahoor mentioned.
