“It was good that Mumbai did not play him” - Shoaib Akhtar analyzes LSG pacer’s Mohsin Khan rise in IPL 2022

Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar believes that Mohsin Khan's stint with the Mumbai Indians (MI) was significant even though the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer did not play a single match for the IPL franchise. According to the 'Rawalpindi Express’, the time in the MI nets must have helped Mohsin fine-tune his skills and he is now reaping rewards for the same.

Mohsin, 23, spent three seasons as part of the MI set-up before being picked up by Lucknow at the IPL 2022 auction. So impressive has he been for the Lucknow franchise, he is being considered as one of the key players for the IPL 2022 Eliminator against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Wednesday.

Previewing the match that will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Akhtar told Sportskeeda:

“When the world stops you, understand that you have that capacity. When the world says you are not good enough, you have to keep moving. It was good that Mumbai did not play him. That's because he was being readied for another team. Mohsin has done well so far, but should look to keep improving himself and pick up more wickets.”

Mohsin has so far claimed 13 wickets in eight matches at an average of 13.23 and an exceptional economy rate of 5.93. He picked up four for 16 in a league clash against the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the start of the month.

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“He is always happy when playing in the IPL” - Shoaib Akhtar on LSG opener Quinton de Kock

LSG opener Quinton de Kock will go into the Eliminator on the back of a sensational 140* off 70 balls against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their last league game.

Sharing his views on the South African batter, Akhtar opined that he plays a lot more freely in the IPL as compared to international cricket. The 46-year-old explained:

“Quinton de Kock is a destructive player. He is a game-changer, who has all the shots. If you have observed, he is always happy when playing in the IPL and is seen smiling. I have never seen Quinton de Kock this happy in international cricket. There is no pressure on him and he doesn’t look lost.”

De Kock has smashed 502 runs in 14 IPL 2022 matches for LSG at an average of 38.62 and a strike rate of 149.40.