Out of the Indian team for close to two years, Madhya Pradesh pacer Avesh Khan is making a statement in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2026-27. Having made his India debut in 2022, Avesh played eight ODIs and 25 T20Is till November, 2024, before his career went for a toss with injuries. A knee surgery and a just six wickets in seven matches for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) further added to his misery.
However, things seem to be changing a bit after he played a key role for Chambal Ghariyals, leading his team to a Madhya Pradesh Premier League (MPL) 2026 title with 13 wickets during the campaign. His form in the MPL 2026 also set the lost rhythm for , who has been among the wickets in the ongoing for his state side.
He started with six wickets against Jammu and Kashmir as Madhya Pradesh pocketed three points by the virtue of a first-inning lead. In their second game against Bihar, set the tone with two wickets in the very first over of the match on Monday, in a Elite Group A match at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. Madhya Pradesh are leading by 162 runs on Day 1.
Sent to field first, Avesh, who was bowling the first over of the match, struck with his fourth delivery, clean bowled Bihar opener Naman Gaurav for three-ball duck. The six-foot-two-inch fast bowler stuck once again two balls later when Sraman Nigrodh was caught by Saksham Purohit, for a duck too. That set up the platform for Madhya Pradesh.
While, he could bowl only three overs after that, Avesh’s eight wickets in the ongoing certainly puts him in a good space on his comeback trail in India colours once again. For Avesh, the journey hasn’t been a smooth rise since 2024, and won’t be in near future. He can just work hard to again come into the selectors’ radar.
But before Avesh could make more inroads, 33-year-old stole the show. The off-spinner, who recently made his India debut against Sri Lanka in Tests, dominated the rest of the Bihar innings with seven wickets for 40 runs in his seven overs. Kumar Kartikeya took one wicket for MP.
Baring Mangal Mahrour, who top-scored with 42 and Suraj Kashyap’s 15, none of the Bihar batters could reach double digits as Jain picked up wickets at regular intervals. Bihar were all out for 99 in 30.3 overs. Had it not been Mahrour’s fighting knock, Bihar would have fallen to a new low.
In reply, Madhya Pradesh were 261/3 in 57 overs at Day 1 stumps, with opening batter Purohit unbeaten on 113. Another opener Yash Dubey scored 84 as Madhya Pradesh put on 146 runs for the first wicket.
