Meet Mohammad Izhar - the left-arm pacer from Bihar who caught the eye of Mumbai Indians

"When the auction was on, I was at home with my brothers in law. While from the outside I was very excited and nervous, I was very anxious about whether my name will come in the auction or not. Finally, the Mumbai Indians picked me and it brought in a different level of happiness.

“While I was feeling very good and excited about getting a chance to be in IPL, I became very emotional. Though everyone began celebrating at home, I had to leave to catch the bus for Patna, so I didn't celebrate it much," Izhar recalled in an exclusive conversation with IANS.

The five-time champions have been renowned for unearthing uncapped gems through a robust scouting system. Though they had a small purse in IPL 2026 auction, picking Izhar for his base price of Rs 30 lakh is very much a signal that they may have unearthed another gem in the making.

Even as he remained engaged with the trials of Kolkata Knight Riders, Izhar recalled how the five-time champions chose patience in having a look at him. "Though Mumbai Indians is a big franchise, they are so humble, which even words cannot explain. When they called me for a trial, I was at KKR's trial.

“But despite being such a big team, they waited for me to come for the trials. When I reached, I was very tired, but I saw they waited for me and told me to rest for a while, so that I could bowl comfortably after recovering. I rested well and then went through the trials very well. It's a very good franchise and the coaches there were very humble."

Izhar's cricketing journey began in Birpur, a town in Supaul district, where tennis ball cricket was the gateway to bigger dreams. His transition to leather ball cricket came through a chance observation by his local mentor Jaichand, who spotted raw talent that others missed.

"Jaichand bhaiya and Birbal bhaiya got me into leather ball cricket and taught me a lot for the last 2-3 years. Previously, I played tennis ball cricket and in one of the games, Jaichand bhaiya saw me bowling and then he told me to start playing with a leather ball.

“I then went on to play for the district and initially it felt a little tough as I was straightaway playing these games without having played leather ball cricket before. But it began so well that I haven’t looked back after that. Birbal bhaiya is a star bowler himself. I learnt a lot from him and Jaichand, who himself was a cricketer," he added.

Watching legendary fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee also transformed Izhar’s casual interest into a Junoon (passion) to play cricket. "Starc has always been my idol from the start. Then seeing Akhtar and Lee take wickets brought in a junoon in me about playing cricket. From the start, it was not like I will play for India or be in IPL. Gradually, I started playing and those thing started to come in my mind.

“You do get a good understanding of these things once you start to put yourself through the grind. I started setting aims that I want to play for the state and do well there. It was in my mind that I wanted to play in the IPL, though the goal of playing for India is still at the top. But I didn't anticipate that I will get picked this year. So, I am very thankful to God that I got picked for IPL this year."

Like many young cricketers from smaller towns, Izhar's early journey wasn't paved with automatic support. Bihar's limited cricketing infrastructure meant initial struggles were there, but his father's growing belief in him transformed everything.

"When I started playing, my father started giving me a lot of support. He began to understand that I have games to play and do well in them. The support from him grew so much that he started taking care of everything around me by himself. Whenever I got small bruises, he would put a bandage quickly at home."

The Bihar Cricket Association's faith proved equally crucial, especially after Izhar had a disappointing previous season. The backing from BCA officials, including previous President Rakesh Tiwari, allowed Izhar to rebuild confidence and rediscover form when it mattered most.

"Last year, I did not get anything great in terms of performances. I started preparing for this season early and the association trusted me to come good. So I am very thankful for that to all of them in BCA. I am very thankful for the chances because of which I got selected for the IPL.

“I had a good performance this time in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (taking nine wickets in five games in Kolkata), where the IPL scouts saw me, called me for trials, got into the auction and now I will be in IPL."

Izhar’s bowling arsenal centers on both inswing and outswing, complemented by variations of slower ball essential for success in T20s. Operating around 135 kmph, Izhar acknowledges his game remains a work in progress, particularly his execution of yorker and consistency with swing deliveries.

"I also have the yorker in my repertoire, but I need to groom and polish it more. In all, I need to do everything better because I am not always perfect. Like my in swing and out swing is not perfect yet, and I need to work on it more. I always try to work on the small things and make my bowling better. Plus, there are some variations of slower ball that I need to polish and groom more."

With an IPL deal in hand, Izhar will have access to two masters of the craft - Trent Boult, whose left-arm swing bowling mirrors Izhar's own style, and Jasprit Bumrah, whose yorkers and control have redefined modern-day fast bowling. "Boult bowls with the left arm like me and Bumrah swings the ball well. His yorkers are deadly. I am going to learn a lot from them."

For youngsters from modest cricketing outposts, Izhar’s rise carries a clear message: patience and persistence outweigh the lure of instant success. His journey from tennis-ball matches in Birpur to an IPL contract with MI stands as validation of that belief.

"I would say just focus on the process, keep going by working hard and wait for the right time. You do not get success in a very short span, as it demands a lot of time. You have to be consistent and believe in God. Plus, you have to believe in yourself that you can do it. When the time comes, you will get the reward. If you work hard, you will get success."

Now on the cusp of wearing MI’s iconic blue and gold in IPL 2026, Izhar’s emergence adds fresh momentum to his promising cricketing story. It underlines once more that, with the right backing, cricketing talent can emerge from the game’s most unheralded corners.