Zaheer Khan, the former Indian left-arm pacer and current mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL), recently expressed his desire to coach Team India, calling it a great honor. Speaking at a CII event in Kolkata, he shared this sentiment with journalist Boria Majumdar, as captured in a video shared by RevSportz on social media.
Zaheer, who hung up his boots in 2017 after a successful IPL stint that lasted two more years, took on the role of bowling coach with the Mumbai Indians before transitioning to his mentor role with LSG in 2024. Looking back, Zaheer made his international debut during the ICC Knockout Cup in 2000 and made waves right away when he bowled a deadly yorker to dismiss the Australian captain Steve Waugh, showcasing his raw speed.
Zaheer was a rare find in Indian cricket, being one of the few express bowlers who could bowl those nail-biting yorkers towards the end of games. His ability to make the ball move in the air and off the pitch set him apart from many other bowlers that fans had seen up till then. Throughout his impressive international career, he took 311 wickets in 92 Test matches and ended up with a total of 610 wickets in 309 matches across all formats while playing for India.
Zaheer played a key role in India’s 2011 World Cup victory and was also part of the team that shared the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy title with Sri Lanka due to a draw in the finals. In the IPL, he donned the jerseys of several teams, including the Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Daredevils. Over his IPL career, he appeared in 100 matches and snagged 102 wickets with an economy rate of 7.59, proving his worth in the fast-paced league.