He has represented four franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Being a bowler in today’s day and age is not easy. Add to that the hectic scheduling and tournaments that eat up the entire calendar, and it is almost a recipe for disaster. Along with the workload, the nature of the game has become so fast-paced, that it becomes difficult to keep track. Amid all the chaos, fitness is no more just an option. It has become a need, and rightly so. And it is all the more difficult for a player who hails from a family where people love their food. Lucknow Supergiants (LSG) star Avesh Khan has seen it all. We got a chance to speak to his nutritionist, Suraj Thakuria, and he revealed Avesh’s fitness transformation. While speaking exclusively to Cricxtasy.com, he shared some interesting information about the bowler’s transformation.
The speedster received his maiden call-up in 2022. He played his first T20I in February 2022 against the West Indies in Kolkata. Subsequently, Avesh was also added to India’s ODI squad in July 2022. To add to that, the impressive pacer also marked his appearance in two U19 World Cups before making it to the senior side. Having represented four franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL), his best run came in 2021, in which he got 24 wickets. He was also the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament for the season.
Avesh has just been a part of three ODI series, and has scalped nine wickets at an economy of under six. His best ODI series has been against South Africa in 2023, in which he bagged six wickets in three games. To add to that, he has played a lot more T20Is than ODIs. In 25 games, he has skittled 27 wickets which includes a four-wicket haul. Though his wickets are not on the highest side, the 28-year-old is known for his accurate yorkers towards the later half of the innings. Avesh makes good use of his height to bang the ball into the surface when there is assistance.
Avesh Khan’s nutritionist, Suraj Thakuria shared the fast bowler’s transformation over the years. He started off by stating that Avesh was one of his first clients in 2020. He highlighted one of the most important concerns about being a bowler in India. After being very lean in his initial days, there was a phase in Avesh’s career when he had drifted towards the bulkier side. Thakuria spoke about the need of getting into the right body composition if one needs to play at the highest level. In 2020, the speedster was on the higher side of the metric in terms of weight, which was not right for him as a pacer.
From that position, the fast bowler went from 92kgs to 84kgs, a transformation which is mighty impressive for any player playing at the highest level. The problem Avesh was facing was that his speeds were dipping because he had returned from an injury. The LSG star was a part of India’s net bowling team, and Thakuria spoke about his dedication and commitment in that phase of his career, which led to his growth.
“For a player like Avesh Khan, who absolutely thrives on biryani at least once a week, it was very difficult. But he did not touch biryani for three to four months”, said Thakuria in the podcast.
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Avesh Khan’s nutritionist also shared a funny story which took place in the IPL a few years back. The incident took place in the middle of the season. Apparently, Avesh Khan and Ankit Rajpoot were playing for the same team. As a process of communicating their diets with the assigned chef, Thakuria sent the ingredients that were required in each player’s meal. Now here’s the twist. The room numbers of both the players were similar, and the chef mistook one for the other. As a result, their meals were exchanged.
Overall, he highlighted Avesh’s work ethic and expressed his views about what makes the fast bowler special. Since his comeback from the injury, the bowler has upped the ante to claim a place in the Indian team. Moreover, he remains to be a crucial piece in the franchise which he represents. The year 2023 was not very kind to the pacer. He had his share of injuries, and was out of the game for a long period of time.
Ahead of IPL 2026, Avesh will be one of the bowlers that LSG will have high hopes from. His ability to finish games at the death, and his execution skills work tremendously in favour of the franchise. Along with a good yorker, he has the ability to hurry the batter with fast bouncers, something that his height and high-arm action allows him to execute. Since 2020, his dedication towards his diet and the hunger for excellence has paved his way towards where he stands as a player.
