"I came to know that it was Nicholas Pooran's helmet" - LSG pacer Avesh Khan on his aggressive celebration vs RCB
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Avesh Khan's celebration during the team's first-leg IPL 2023 fixture against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) grabbed a lot of eyeballs.
The match between the two sides proved to be a last-ball thriller. With one needed from the final ball, there was a lot of drama, including an attempted run out at the non-striker's end from Harshal Patel.
LSG eventually eked out a narrow one-wicket win as Avesh and Ravi Bishnoi scampered a single after the fast bowler was beaten and the ball went to keeper Dinesh Karthik.
Celebrating the victory, Avesh removed his helmet and slammed it on the ground. Recalling the moment, the bowler recently revealed that it wasn't even his own helmet.
In a video shared by LSG on YouTube, he stated that he later came to know that it was Nicholas Pooran's helmet that he was wearing. He also suggested that it was a different feeling to win the game for his team without even hitting the ball.
Here's what Avesh Khan said about the animated celebration:
"Yeah, it was too funny. There was intense pressure back then. By the way, I haven't got my helmet yet. I never thought I would get to bat as we needed eight runs off seven balls. Ayush (Badoni) hit a six and got out. I knew that JD bhai (Jaydev Unadkat) and Wood can score a boundary. Then Wood lost his wicket and JD bhai also got out.
"I wore whatever I saw in front of me, later on, I came to know that it was (Nicholas) Pooran's helmet. It's a different feeling to win the game without even hitting the ball. You just have to run."
Notably, Avesh received a lot of flak for the over-the-top celebration and was even reprimanded for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct.
"Whenever he bowls, I stand nearby and guide him, and vice-versa" - Avesh Khan on his bond with LSG teammate Mohsin Khan
Avesh Khan also spoke about his friendship with fellow LSG fast bowler Mohsin Khan. He stated that the two share a great bond and also help each other improve their game.
He noted that both of them played a lot of matches together for Lucknow in the previous edition. Avesh suggested that he enjoys spending time with the left-arm seamer, adding:
"I really enjoy bowling with Mohsin (Khan) as we played a lot of matches together last year. This year, unfortunately, he was injured in the first half of the season. But I truly like spending time with him, as we have fun together.
"Whenever he bowls, I stand nearby and guide him, and vice-versa. It's a bond between us. So we have funny conversations, which help in reducing match pressure."
Avesh Khan has bagged seven wickets from eight matches in IPL 2023 and has an economy rate of 9.37 to his name.