'My father was discharged from ICU yesterday': Mohsin Khan's voice chokes after he wins last-over thriller vs MI

The last year or so has been very difficult for Mohsin Khan, to say the least. After a breakthrough IPL season last year with debutants Lucknow Super Giants for which he picked up 14 wickets in 9 matches at an economy rate under six, the left-arm seamer was pitted as the big next thing with the Indian selectors keeping a close eye. But an unfortunate injury ruled him out from the entire domestic season and even put a question mark on his future as a fast bowler. But he braved the setback, stuck it out and made his way back into the field.

His return wasn't a smooth one by any means. In his first match for LSG in IPL 2023, he did not get to bowl a single over as rain washed out the match after LSG's innings. Mohsin finally got the ball in his hand on May 7 against the Gujarat Titans, 12 months after he had made his last appearance in a competitive cricket match. It did not go according to plan. Mohsin was hit for 42 runs and subsequently dropped from the next game against SRH.

The lanky left-arm pacer was picked again in LSG's must-win home fixture against five-time champions MI. His start was once again not up to the mark. He clearly lacked the pace and the zip that had made him difficult to face with the new ball. Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma took 20 runs in the first two overs.

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LSG captain Krunal Pandya had no choice but to take Mohsin away from the attack but when he again threw the ball to him, MI needed only 11 runs off 6 balls with big hitters Tim David and Cameron Green in the middle. With the odds heavily stacked against him, Mohsin dished out the best six balls bowled by an LSG bowler on Tuesday.

His first three balls were length balls angled away from right-handers David and Green. The fact that he varied his pace made it difficult for the Australian duo to get a boundary. With the equation down to 9 off 3 balls, Mohsin landed two picture-perfect yorkers to Green and sealed the match for LSG. His last over went for just five and LSG won the match to climb to the third spot and take a giant stride towards ensuring playoff qualification.

In between the injury setbacks and the not-so-ideal return to IPL, Mohsin was also battling a personal issue. His father was admitted to the ICU for the last 10 days and was only discharged on Monday, a day before he produced a match-winning last over.

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"It's been a tough time as I was injured, playing after a year. My father got discharged from the ICU yesterday and he was in the hospital for the last 10 days and I did it for him, he would have been watching," Moshin said at the post-match presentation with a choking voice.

When asked about the deep breaths he was taking in between deliveries in the last over, the Uttar Pradesh cricketer said he was calming himself down. "The run-up is the same, did not change it in the last over. I was trying to calm myself down, not look at the scoreboard and bowl the 6 balls well."Since the wicket was gripping, I tried the slower ball, but I bowled two of those and then changed to the yorker and it was reversing as well."

Talking about his plan in the final over, Khan said: "The plan was to execute what I did in practice. Even Krunal was talking to me and I told him the same.

Mohsin also thanked the LSG support staff for backing him during his tough phase. "I'm grateful to the team and the support staff, Gautam (Gambhir) sir, Vijay (Dahiya) sir for playing me this game even though I did not do well in the last game."