Juned's Journey: From Driving Autos To Winning Irani Cup

'I was irregular for practice because I had to drive the autorickshaw to sustain my daily expenses in Mumbai and also to send money to my mother back in Kannauj, so I could not miss even a day of driving the autorickshaw.'

'After I met Abhishek Nayar Sir my life changed completely. He told me that I had the talent to play at a higher level, I just needed to work hard. You will play for Mumbai for sure with the talent you have.'

Mumbai's newest debutant, Juned Khan, has had an unbelievable journey to cricket stardom.

From working in a garment factory, selling bread, and driving an autorickshaw, the fast bowler's path to representing domestic giants Mumbai was anything but easy. His story is sure to inspire lakhs of aspiring cricketers who are forced to consider giving up the game due to financial hardships or lack access to facilities.

The 24 year old nearly missed out on a deserved cricket opportunity before current India Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar's timely intervention proved to be the turning point.

Juned, who left his family in Kannauj, UP, in 2015 in search of work, came close to missing out on a cricket career altogether. But a chance encounter with Abhishek proved pivotal.

Renowned for his coaching, Abhishek ensured Juned received all the support he needed to chase his cricketing dreams and didn't have to depend on ferrying people in the autorickshow to make a living.

Last month, Juned made his first-class debut for Mumbai in the Irani Cup against Rest of India, following standout performances in pre-season tournaments like the KSCA and Buchi Babu. He was thrilled to debut in such a prestigious match, especially at the Ekana stadium in Lucknow, just 120 kilometres from his village in Kannauj, as all his friends and family attended the match and cheered for him all through the game.

Despite having bowled to some of the world's top players as a net bowler for the Kolkata Knight Riders during IPL 2024 and playing a role in Mumbai's first Irani Cup win in 27 years, Juned remains grounded.

Although he can now afford better housing, Juned continues to live in a one-room house with friends in a chawl in Bandra East in suburban Mumbai. "I don't feel like leaving all my friends in Bandra. I won't be able to leave them and stay alone in another place," he tells Rediff.com's Harish Kotian.

The money he earned from his stint with KKR has been a lifeline. "We hadn't paid the electricity bill of my house in Kannauj for three years, so I paid that entire outstanding amount. Then my mother had to undergo operation for a gall bladder stone so I was able to do that, she also had infection in her stomach so I got her treated for the same," he shares.

The Irani Cup game was not only your first match for Mumbai but also the first class match of your career. How was the experience of playing in such a big domestic match?

It was my first class debut match and I will say it was like being in a dream world. I never imagined in my life that I would get to such a level in my cricketing career and play such a big match. This match was a dream come true for me.

I felt very special to play with the seniors, I learnt a lot from them. And Mumbai won the Irani Cup after 27 years so the happiness was double for me.

You said you never imagined such a day would come in your life that you would play for Mumbai in the Irani Cup.
Tell us about the moment when you were told that you would make your debut. Who broke the news and how did you react?

The night before the match Mumbai Coach Omkar Salvi told me 'You sleep well, you will make your debut tomorrow.' I was shocked, I just couldn't believe what the coach said, I was speechless.

Then our coach said, 'Don't take any tension, the way you performed in club cricket, in the KSCA tournament, in Buchi Babu, just continue to bowl in the same way. Treat this as a normal game, don't think too much.'

I immediately called up my mummy and told her that I will make my debut for Mumbai tomorrow. I told her, 'I wished you could come for my debut game, but your health is not good, so just take rest.'

My mummy is around 65 and her health is not that good.

I told her to inform my brothers and tell everyone to come to Lucknow for the match. My close friends from Kannauj, I also messaged them and told them to come for the match. My friends would have anyways come for the game, they had told me that whether I play or not they will come.

They were supposed to come after 10 am, but once they got to know I was making my debut, they came before 8 am, they wanted to see me getting the Mumbai cap. My family members also came for the game.

Believe me, after speaking to the coach, I could not sleep at all. No matter how hard I tried, I didn't get any sleep. I kept waking up again and again, 1, 2, I was getting up, drinking water, then again going back to bed, but I was not getting any sleep. So full night went on like this, I didn't get any sleep at all.

Then when I got my debut cap from Shardul bhai (Thakur), I got so emotional I was in tears. I was so excited that I was going to play in such a big game which the whole of India will be watching.

I was feeling nervous too. That evening I called up my coach Abhishek Nayar Sir, I told him that I am feeling nervous and scared. He advised me, 'Don't take any tension. When you get the chance just bowl normally like in any game. Whatever you have been doing continue to do that, don't try anything extra. I am sure you will do well. Just enjoy the game and don't take any tension'.

He also told me 'I am proud of you. Just go into bowling with the thinking that 'How can I play a role in Mumbai's victory' and how can I contribute to the team not only in bowling but also fielding and batting. Just give 100 percent in every department. Don't play for yourself, but play for the team.'

After speaking to Abhishek Nayar Sir, I felt better. I felt confident from inside and relaxed too. His words gave me the belief that I can do well at this level.

We heard that there was a loud cheer in the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow when you got the Mumbai cap from Shardul Thakur and every time you can on to bowl. Is that right?

Yes, my brothers and a lot of my friends had come down to Lucknow to cheer for me. They attended all five days of the match.

The story of your life couldn't have been scripted better. A young boy leaves his home in UP and comes to Mumbai in search for a livelihood. And 10 years later, that young boy makes his first class debut for Mumbai in a stadium in UP. How was the feeling to play the first big match of your career in your home state?

That was the happiest moment, to have played my first match for Mumbai in my home state of Uttar Pradesh. If I had played my first in Mumbai, yes people would have come but so many people might have not come to support me.

It was all Allah's wish that when I finally got something, I got everything.

How big a role has Abhishek Nayar played in your cricketing journey so far?

When I started playing cricket in Mumbai, I went to Shivaji Park to meet coach Shreyas Sir who was referred to me by a friend Aamir in Kanpur. That time I used to drive an autorickshaw from morning to afternoon to earn some money and his practice timing was also the same. I went to meet him, but he told him that their coaching is only in the morning. I explained to him that I drive an autorickshaw in the morning to earn my daily living and I can only come in the morning.

He told me that since I stay in Bandra, to go and meet (former Mumbai wicket-keeper) Manish Bangera Sir who runs the Sanjeevani Cricket Academy. I used to go to that academy and just watching the boys training there and that time I also wanted to play cricket so much.

Manish Bangera Sir was kind enough to accommodate me, he told me to join his academy and I started my cricket practice from his academy.

But because I used to drive an autorickshaw sometimes I would get late for practice because I ended up driving the auto till 3 pm.

I was irregular for practice because I had to drive the autorickshaw to sustain my daily expenses in Mumbai and also to send money to my mother back in Kannauj, so I could not miss even day of driving autorickshaw.

One day Manish Bangera Sir called me and he told me 'See, you are a good bowler you can go places, but you need to focus on your game'. I explained to him about my financial problem and that is why I cannot avoid driving the autorickshaw daily.

He understood my problem and let me know continue and it was at the Sanjeevani Academy that I learnt a lot of cricket in those days.

Whenever I need any help for anything, Manish Bangera Sir was always there for me so many times.

Then one day, I got to know that Shreyas Iyer was practicing at the Wankhede Stadium. Manish Bangera Sir told me that he got a call from Abhishek Nayar and that they needed a pace bowler to bowl in the nets.

That was the first time Abhishek Nayar Sir saw me bowling. He came to me and told me 'I have never seen you in Mumbai before. Where have you come from?' I told him my entire story how I was driving an autorickshaw for a living and also practicing cricket in the evening. He asked me where I was staying, so I told him that I was staying with my four friends in a chawl in Bandra East.

He told me that if I wanted to take up cricket professionally then he will help me. I told him that I hail from a poor family in UP, I don't have a father, only my mother and brothers. We earn daily wages to sustain our living, only if we earn money during the day then we get something to eat at night.

How did you land up in Mumbai?

I ran away from my family, who stay in Kannauj, in 2014 and come to Mumbai aged 15-16. I started working in a garments factory, then I also sold pav (bread) in Thane and now I am driving an autorickshaw.

First, when I came to Mumbai I worked as a helper in a jeans factory in Andheri West, I used to get Rs 3,000 per month. It was a small factory cum godown where jeans were stitched. There were around 10-12 people working there. I used to work there and spent my nights there.

My brothers in UP they are all married, they stay with their own families, and I had to look after the expenses of my mother.

The factory owner used to provide me with food and I don't have any other habits, so I used to keep Rs 1,000 for myself and send the rest to my mother in Kannauj.

I worked there for two years and then I also sold pav in Thane.

Then in 2016, a friend from Mira Road (a township north of Mumbai) told me to try my hand in driving an autorickshaw and that I could easily make around Rs 10,000 if I worked hard. Those days I was young, I didn't have a licence, the traffic police havaldar used to catch me and fine me sometimes.

Was this your own autorickshaw?

No, no, it belonged to someone else. I used to drive from morning till late afternoon and I had to give the owner around Rs 200 per day plus CNG refill of around Rs 200 and the rest whatever I saved was mine which used to come around Rs 300 to Rs 400.

But sometimes if the traffic police used to catch me for driving without a licence then I had to pay a fine around Rs 500 and that day I didn't save any money. Those were tough times for me, because I barely saved enough for food, rent, my cricket practice, gym and for sending to my mother.

After I met Abhishek Nayar Sir my life changed completely. When he heard about my hardship, he told me: 'Don't worry about money or anything. Hereafter, I will look after your expenses, you just focus on cricket. Whenever you need money you let me know, I am there for you, just train hard and improve your game.'

He told me that I had the talent to play at a higher level, I just needed to work hard. You will play for Mumbai for sure with the talent you have.'

Then I joined his academy after the lockdown ended when cricket started in Mumbai in 2022. I practiced under him in 2022 and 2023 and I learnt so much in those two years.

How did you manage things in the lockdown? Did you stay back in Mumbai or did you return to Kannauj?

I had savings of around Rs 20,000. I stayed back in Mumbai thinking the lockdown will be lifted after 8, 10 days. After a month, nearly all my money was finished.

Then one of my friend who stays in Kannauj, he was returning home on his bike and I decided to go with him.

We travelled in a bike from Mumbai to Kannauj during the Covid lockdown. So many people were affected then, everyone was going back to their villages. They were all thinking if we have to die let us die in our villages rather than here.

We travelled in the bike for around one-and-a-half days, crossed a couple of state borders. Whenever we knew there is a police check point, we used to take the inside roads.

I stayed in Kannauj during the lockdown and I came back to Mumbai after four months after the first lockdown was lifted. I couldn't stay there for a long time as I had to earn money to sustain my family.

Did you face any problem after coming to Mumbai once the lockdown was removed because there were still so many restrictions in place?

Since the day I arrived in Mumbai I have only seen problems. But once I met Abhishek Nayar Sir in 2022, all my problems have been resolved. He has provided me with everything I needed to pursue my cricketing career, I just can't thank him enough.

You said when you started driving an autorickshaw you stayed with your friends in a chawl in Bandra. Do you still stay there or have you moved to another place now since your cricket career is on the rise?

No, I still stay at the same place. I don't feel like leaving all my friends in Bandra. I won't be able to leave them and stay alone in some other place. I stay with them, but now I am thinking of moving to a bigger and better place.

I stay with four friends. Two of my friends -- Arbaaz and Sultan work as Zomato delivery personnel, while two of them -- Aaqib and Mohammed Raza -- drive autorickshaws. I met Arbaaz and Sultan in Mumbai while playing cricket, but Aaqib and Raza hail from Kannauj so I know them from before.

How big is the house you stay in now?

I live in a chawl in Behrampada, Bandra East, near the station. The house has just one room and it has an attached bathroom-toilet and all five of us tay there.

Each person has to pay around Rs 2,500 for the rent and other monthly expenses.

Abhishek Nayar Sir offered to arrange a nice play to stay, but I told him that I wanted to stay with my friends. He has done so much for me, it is just unbelievable.

After my family, it is Abhishek Nayar Sir, I look up to him.

Don't you find it hard when you are leaving your home in Kannauj to come back to Mumbai? You must be missing your mother a lot here.

I have a special connection with my mother. Every time I leave Kannauj, I am full of tears. I just love her so much. It is difficult to leave her back.

She doesn't know much about cricket. Then I explained to her how I made it to this level. Lakhs and lakhs of young boys try, but only a few can make it to this level, so then she realised where I had reached in my career.

She was very happy, all my family members celebrated my achievement.

You bowled in the KKR nets as a net bowler ahead of this season. How was the experience?

Abhishek Nayar Sir took me to the KKR pre-camp ahead of the IPL season last year. He told me that he brought me to the camp because he wanted me to see how cricketers spend their day, how they prepare, how they train and what is their mindset, so it was a chance for me to learn.

I attended the KKR pre-season camp for 10 days. But this year, he took me to KKR as a proper net bowler. Not only it helped my cricket, but it also helped me financially because the net bowlers get daily allowances.

It benefitted me a lot because I could focus on my cricket, work hard in the gym, and eat good nutritious food to keep myself fit and healthy.

It raised my confidence and I did well in club cricket. Then I did well in the KSCA tournament for Mumbai and then in the Buchi Babu tournament, and because of that good showing the selectors picked me for Mumbai for the Irani Cup game.

During your stint as a net bowler, did you get a chance to watch top international stars at KKR like Mitchell Starc, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine?

It was a good experience. I discussed a lot about my bowling with Venkatesh Iyer bhai.

The best moment for me was getting a chance to speak to Mitchell Starc. I took someone along to translate what he was telling me. I just love to watch Starc bowling, he is the world's best bowler for me, he has won two World Cups.

I just asked him one question 'You have so much experience of international cricket. Sometimes even when you bowl well, in T20 cricket you will go for runs, that time how do you feel?'

He replied: 'When I am the ground I think about the match about my bowling, but when I go back to the dressing room I forget about what happened. I just focus on what better I can do on the next day or in the next match.'

Starc advised me not to think too much. Some days you will do well, some days things will not work to plan. When you don't perform to expectations, just try to learn from it as to what went wrong. Just keep working hard to improve yourself every day.

About my bowling, Starc said that my bowling is good, he asked me to train hard and practice a lot.

Did you get a chance to meet Shah Rukh Khan?

I got a chance to meet Shah Rukh bhai this season. I did meet him, but I couldn't get a chance to speak to him. I remember when I was new to Mumbai whenever we used to go to Bandra Bandstand, we used to go and see his bungalow Mannat from outside.

I felt like a dream when I met Shah Rukh bhai, I was thinking whether this is real or a dream that Shah Rukh bhai is standing in front of me.

Cricket has given me a lot till now, I can never forget what this game has done to me.

Your first wicket in first class cricket was a big one: Ruturaj Gaikwad, one of the best young players in the country, the captain of Chennai Super Kings.

I was feeling the pressure because Mumbai's selectors and Coach Omkar Salvi had shown so much trust in me along with our support staff.

Captain Ajinkya Rahane also helped me a lot, he was constantly telling me that I should not feel any pressure and that I have his full support. And when even I bowled loose deliveries, he continued to back me, so that was a very good point of his captaincy.

I can't express how happy I felt after getting Ruturaj Gaikwad's wicket. I was so emotional at that point, I was in tears nearly.

Now that you have made it to the Mumbai team, your career looks stable and that must have also eased your financial burden. Has this income from cricket helped ease your problems for now?

The money I got from bowling in the KKR nets this year, I used it to pay off my debts. We hadn't paid the electricity bill of my house in Kannauj for three years, so I paid that entire outstanding amount. Then my mother had to undergo operation for a gall bladder stone so I was able to do that. She also had infection in her stomach so I got her treated for the same.

I had taken money from a few people when I was struggling to make ends meet, like Rs 2,000 from someone or Rs 5,000 from the other, I paid back all of them.

Now, whenever is in need of money and they come to me, I readily give them how much they need. I remember the time when I was struggling and if someone didn't help me I used to face a lot of problems, so whenever anyone approaches me for money, I help them as much as I can.