MEHRAN SHINES BRIGHT
Experienced Oman medium pacer is among the top wicket-takers in the tournament
Oman’s thrilling journey at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 is all but over with their hopes of advancing extinguished after a hat-trick of defeats in the West Indies.
However, one player who has emerged as a standout bowler is Mehran Khan. Amidst the fierce competition and heart-pounding moments, Mehran's exceptional bowling performances have captivated audiences worldwide, showcasing not only his skill but also his unwavering determination to leave an indelible mark on the cricketing world.
Mehran’s name is among the list of top wicket-takers after the World Cup has witnessed 22 matches so far across four groups comprising 20 nations.
Mehran has stood out as a formidable force in Oman's bowling lineup. With a presence exuding quiet confidence and a smile that conceals his competitive fire, the 37-year-old medium pacer has made a significant impact on the field. His tally of six wickets places him among the top five bowlers in the tournament, a testament to his skill and consistency.
Afghanistan’s left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, who claimed a five-wicket haul against Uganda, leads the table of the highest wicket-takers with nine wickets from two matches and is followed by South Africa’s pacer Anrich Nortje with eight.
At the third spot there are three bowlers including Mehran with six wickets each. The other two are West Indies’ left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein and Afghanistan’s spinner Rashid Khan.
Except for Mehran and Nortje who have featured in three matches each, the rest have played two games so far. India’s Jasprit Bumrah, who was the star of India’s win over Pakistan on Sunday, is next best with five wickets from two games.
Mehran’s bowling has also been rated as one of the most impactful performances so far. According to Espncricinfo, Farooqi is on top with a score of 190.1 in the bowling impact category. At second spot is Mehran, who with a score of 146, is ahead of Bumrah with 128.7. The rating of most impactful bowlers is measured not only by the wickets taken and economy rate but also of the pressure under which these performances happened.
Mehran’s show has been one of the highlights of Oman in Group B at the ongoing World Cup, but the all-rounder admitted that these figures and bowling would have been sweeter had the team won.
“I would have been happier had we won the matches. We went close in the opener and to lose in a Super Over against Namibia was heart-breaking as we had them on the back foot,” said Mehran.
The experienced campaigner, who was recalled in the national squad late last year after a gap of four years, justified the faith of head coach Duleep Mendis and produced one of the most memorable spells against Namibia.
Mehran returned with dream figures of 3/7 and led to defend the meagre total of 109 and force a tie and a Super Over.
The spell against Namibia was his career-best in the 40 T20IS he has played since his debut Oman against Afghanistan in July 2015.
“We could have even won the match against Namibia but for the fumble off the last delivery behind the wickets that allowed [David] Wiese to steal a single off a bye,” he said.
His tidy line and length and ability to pull back his length came in handy against the mighty Australia. Mehran not only shone with the ball but made an enterprising 27 off 16 balls.
Mehran had the Aussies in a spot as he struck twice off successive balls to get rid of their skipper Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell in the ninth over of the game.
He was on a hat-trick and nearly had the star performer Marcus Stoinis caught at the boundary in the 15th over, a drop that will haunt Oman for long.
We could have even won the match against Namibia but for the fumble off the last delivery behind the wickets that allowed [David] Wiese to steal a single off a bye
MEHRAN KHAN