Who is Junaid Khan:  The Indian cricket team has got many star fast bowlers in recent years. From Jaspreet Bumrah to Mayank Yadav, everyone is included in this list. This trend is not stopping at the moment. The Mumbai team has recently defeated the Rest of India in the Irani Cup. A fast bowler included in the team captained by Ajinkya Rahane has caught everyone's attention. The name of that bowler is Junaid Khan.

Created sensation by dismissing Rituraj

Fast bowler Junaid Khan from Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, moved to Mumbai to raise his family. He looked for a job and first worked in a cloth factory. Apart from this, he drove an auto-rickshaw despite being a minor. However, a twist of fate brought him back to the world of cricket and his story now reaches the Irani Cup. This match was the biggest match of his career. He created a sensation by taking the wicket of Rest of India captain Rituraj Gaikwad. 

Junaid could not sleep after getting a place in the team.

Junaid said in an interview with Sportsstar, "When I was told before the match that I would be playing my first match for Mumbai, that too in the Irani Cup, since then I could not sleep at all. The wicket was a bonus. Just finding myself here is a dream in itself." Junaid got a chance to bowl in only one innings in the Irani Cup. He took one wicket. The Mumbai team did not bowl in the second innings.

This is how he entered cricket

Junaid was working as an auto-rickshaw driver in Mumbai. He once landed at Sanjivani Cricket Academy. It is run by former Mumbai wicketkeeper batsman Manish Bangara. Junaid had played most of the matches with a tennis ball so far. He was asked to run in the academy and after that, he bowled. Bangara encouraged him to keep bowling but there were many challenges along the way.

I didn't have money to buy shoes.

Junaid said, "I did not have money to buy spikes (shoes for playing cricket) but many people helped me and they supported me to keep playing regularly." There was another dramatic turn in Junaid's life. He was seen playing for PJ Hindu Gymkhana in the Police Shield by Abhishek Nair, the current assistant coach of the Indian cricket team. He was very impressed by him. Junaid then impressed everyone with his bowling during the Buchi Babu and KSCA tournaments. Due to this, the selectors included him in the Mumbai team for the Irani Cup.

Considers Mohammed Shami as his ideal

Junaid considers the Indian cricket team's fast bowler Mohammed Shami as his idol. Like Shami, he also played cricket for another state, not his own state. Shami is also from Uttar Pradesh and plays for Bengal. Similarly, Junaid is from Uttar Pradesh and plays for Mumbai.