Mohsin Khan is a no-nonsense bowler.

In an era where bowlers are coming up with truckloads of variations, the left-arm pacer relies on control over his line and length. On Sunday, he outsmarted the Kolkata Knight Riders’ top order to pick up the first five-wicket haul of IPL 2026 in Lucknow at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium. It was also his maiden five-for in T20 cricket.

The Lucknow Super Giants bowler was right on the money from ball one, inviting batters to drive off a length. Tim Seifert was the first to fall, driving straight to the cover fielder for a three-ball duck in the second over – a wicket maiden.

His left-arm angle on that probing length – not too full to drive, not short enough to play off the back foot – is a difficult combination to attack. Add to that his pace, hovering around 140 kmph, and Mohsin becomes even harder to slog away.

“He hits a great length consistently – a very simple game plan – and with his height and wrist position, he’s a real threat,” LSG coach Justin Langer said after the match.

But Mohsin also has the cricket smarts and awareness to know when to change it up. With scoreboard pressure mounting, he sensed Ajinkya Rahane would look to break free. As Rahane made room, Mohsin followed him and slipped in an off-cutter – his first of the day – inducing a miscue to mid-off.

“I read the pitch and felt the slower ball would hold up a bit. I sensed a shot was coming, so I changed the pace, and that got me the wicket,” Mohsin said later to the broadcaster.

He bowled just five cutters in the entire spell; two brought wickets. The other was Cameron Green, who had picked the variation a couple of balls earlier to hit a six but couldn’t repeat the shot.

Mohsin doesn’t have a long run-up. His measured approach adds an element of deception. Rovman Powell, for instance, was caught behind to a sharp bouncer that seemed to surprise him.

“There’s an old baseball coach, Mike Young – one of the best fielding coaches in Australia – who used to say, ‘You can tell a great athlete by the way they throw the ball.’ When you watch Mohsin throw, it’s amazing,” Langer said.

When Green and Rinku Singh stitched a 42-run stand, LSG captain Rishabh Pant didn’t hesitate to complete Mohsin’s spell in the 11th over. The move paid off. Mohsin dismissed Green and then, off the very next ball, Anukul Roy to complete his five-for. He finished with five for 23 from his four overs.

He now has nine wickets from four innings this season. Among bowlers who have delivered more than 90 balls, his economy rate (6.37), average (11.33), strike rate (10.6), and dot-ball percentage (51) are all the best.

All this after missing four games due to an injury sustained in the season opener. Fitness has long been his biggest challenge. After his debut IPL season in 2022, Mohsin almost had his bowling arm amputated due to a vascular aneurysm.

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“I’m absolutely fine, fully fit. I’ve worked really hard, especially in the off-season with our trainer. My body feels good, and everything is going well,” he said.

He put in the work not just to return, but to stay relevant, earning retention from the franchise and rebuilding his career.

“You can see how valuable he is; we haven’t had much of him over the last two seasons,” Langer said.

“To his credit, he’s worked incredibly hard on his fitness. Not many people know he spent a few months at Bharat Arun’s academy in Chennai leading into this season,” he added.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s in the Indian team in the not-so-distant future,” Langer said.

Published on Apr 27, 2026