Looking forward to play Champions League T20: Zaheer Khan

Under rehabilitation to recover from a strained left latissimus dorsi muscle, which he suffered during the 7th season of the Indian Premier League, that has ruled him out of cricketing action for close to 4 months, Indian medium pace bowler Zaheer Khan has said that he is hopeful of making it to the Mumbai Indians squad for the Champions League T20, which begins on September 13.

Zaheer said: "I am looking forward to play in the Champions League which is beginning next month. That's a good goal to have but I have to see how my bowling rehab goes and what kind of feedback I get from my physio.”

The Rohit Sharma led unit have made it to the play-offs as a result of finishing 4th in the league and will now compete with 3 other teams – Lahore Lions, Southern Express and Northern Kings – to determine who makes it to the main stages, which begins on September 17. The top 2 teams will qualify, slotting one each into Group A and Group B.

"I am starting my second phase of rehab this week which is the bowling phase. Thereafter I will see how things unfold and hopefully in another five weeks or so, I will look to bowl 100 per cent," said Zaheer, who has 112 wickets in his 108 T20 games and is arguably the best Indian fast bowler the game has ever seen since the great Kapil Dev.

"When injuries happen it's not an easy phase to deal with. You have to be patient and work on recovery under the right guidance. I have been doing the same thing everytime I have had any injury. There are phases in rehab and when you are 100 per cent fit, you just come back," the 30-year-old concluded.