There are comebacks in cricket, and then there is Mohsin Khan’s.
The Lucknow Super Giants left-arm pacer returned to the IPL this season after 14 to 15 months on the sidelines following surgery and rehabilitation. The physical journey was long and gruelling. The emotional one was harder still.
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“The long injury layoff pushed me into self-doubt,” Mohsin said. “I wondered if I would ever play again. But my mother always supported me and told me that I would play again.”
His mother passed away two months ago, on the same day he had returned to the LSG camp after a trip to Bengaluru. She never got to see the comeback she had spent months encouraging.
“My mother’s dream was to see me play IPL and competitive cricket again,” Mohsin said. “After her death, I was in trauma. I did not practice for a month.”
That he found his way back to the field at all speaks to an extraordinary depth of resolve. He credits LSG physio Vaibhav Daga, trainer Soham, and bowling coach Bharat Arun for helping him rebuild physically. He also spent time training with Mohammed Shami at his farm in Amroha, where the two pacers worked through the finer details of their craft together.
“He has set up a good gym and ground at his farm,” Mohsin said of Shami. “We discussed bowling nuances and he told me about any shortcomings.”
When LSG chose to retain him despite the injury cloud, Mohsin admitted he did not see it coming. That faith from the franchise gave him something concrete to work towards during the darkest months of his recovery.
His mother gave him the rest.
Fast bowling at the highest level demands everything from the body and the mind. The negative thoughts that creep in during long rehabilitation spells are as much a part of the fight as any fitness test. Mohsin faced both, with a phone always nearby so he could hear the voice that kept telling him he would get there.
He got there. She did not get to watch. But every over he bowls this IPL season carries her belief in it.
