"Last year's IPL gave him a lot of confidence" - Ravi Shastri on LSG's Avesh Khan 

Ravi Shastri lauded Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Avesh Khan for his brilliant bowling performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Khan produced a brilliant spell with the ball against SRH in the 12th match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2022).

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo following LSG's 12-run win over SRH, Shastri stated that Khan changed the game by picking up two wickets in the 17th over of the run chase.

The former Indian team head coach pointed out that the bowler has improved significantly over the last year.

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that the previous season of the cash-rich league has done wonders for the talented youngster's confidence.

It is worth mentioning that with 24 wickets from 16 matches, Khan finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the previous edition of the tournament.

Shastri said:

"It was even-steven until then. Probably SRH had the upper hand. So he had to deliver in that over and he picked up a couple of wickets and ended with a fourfer. He did an excellent job. He is improving. I've seen him come up through the ranks and he's an improved bowler in the last 12 months. Last year's IPL gave him a lot of confidence and he's started off well here."

Khan picked up four crucial wickets and conceded just 24 runs from his full quota of four overs against SRH on Monday. He was adjudged as the Player of the Match for his exploits with the ball in the encounter.

In the video, England all-rounder Sam Curran pointed out that Jason Holder also did a fine job for LSG in the clash. He highlighted how the tall pacer is able to extract extra bounce off the surface because of his height. The 23-year-old also stated that the seamer can do the job with the new ball and is also effective in the death overs.

Curran stated:

"Jason Holder can swing the ball in the powerplay and he's got the skills. He bowls from a very high level and gets that extra bounce. We also saw him bowl those wide yorkers towards the end. He knows what he is doing."

LSG successfully defended 170 at the DY Patil Stadium, thanks to a comprehensive performance by their bowling unit. While Avesh Khan was the pick of the bowlers for them, the likes of Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder and Ravi Bishnoi also chipped in with tidy spells.

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"Marcus Stoinis coming in will further strengthen the LSG side" - Ravi Shastri

Shastri reckoned that LSG looked a stronger unit after the inclusion of Jason Holder. He further added that with dynamic all-rounder Marcus Stoinis coming in, the KL Rahul-led side could become an ever stronger IPL team.

He stated:

"LSG will get stronger. With Jason Holder coming in, it has become much more organized. KL Rahul had a lot more ammunition at his command today. Marcus Stoinis coming in will further strengthen them. It's good for them that they have got a start with a chance of getting stronger as the tournament progresses."

While LSG lost their opening game of the season to Gujarat Titans (GT), they have bounced back by securing back-to-back victories in their subsequent two fixtures. They are currently placed 5th in the IPL points table.