He dismissed the captain of the Rest of India, Ruturaj Gaikwad, in just his third over of the game on his First Class debut.
Cricket probably has the most beautiful tales emerging now and then. Take any young cricketer rising through the ranks or an established one at the peak of their power, they all have a similar story of struggles.
The latest entrant on the list is an autorickshaw driver turned pacer who has seen a meteoric rise in his young career. He is the right-arm pacer from Kannauj, Juned Khan.
Juned left his city Kannauj and travelled all the way to Mumbai to help his family financially. Initially, he lived in a small room with his friends while working in a garment factory in the City of Dreams.
Later, he turned into an autorickshaw driver and started driving from a very young age. He was a minor when he began working in Mumbai since his family’s condition wasn’t stable.
“There were problems at home and I had to start working and help the family make ends meet, so I followed in the footsteps of a few elder friends from Kannauj and reached Mumbai,” states Juned.
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He once reached the Sanjeevani Cricket Academy of Manish Bangera, a former wicketkeeper batter from Mumbai. Seeing the obvious talent of Juned, Bangera asked him to take his bowling more seriously, and his friends helped him buy the necessary types of equipment, encouraging him to pursue his dream.
His best moment came when Abhishek Nayar, who acted as the assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) then, saw his abilities during the lockdown. He was featuring for the PJ Hindu Gymkhana in Police Shield.
Juned revealed Abhishek asked him to quit driving his autorickshaw and give all his time to honing his skillsets. He was also with KKR as their net bowler in the previous edition.
“He (Abhishek) has helped me in every possible way so far. Had it not been for him, I would have been nowhere near where I am now. It was him who told me to stop driving autorickshaw and devote all my time to cricket. Then I started training at his academy. When he asked me to join KKR as a net bowler for the last IPL season, it was the best opportunity for me.”
After performing exceptionally well in the Police Shield tournament, Juned got opportunities in the Buchi Babu and KSCA competitions. He finally made his First Class debut for Mumbai during the Irani Cup 2024 and impressed immediately.
He dismissed the captain of the Rest of India, Ruturaj Gaikwad, in just his third over of the game on his First Class debut. While he couldn’t add more to his tally, Juned did enough to showcase his superior skillsets and massive potential.
He idolises Mohammed Shami, who has a similar story of struggles. It’s just the start for Juned Khan; the future is definitely bright.
(Credit: Sportstar)
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