5 Afghanistan cricketers who can shine in IPL 2018 auctions

Cricket in war-torn Afghanistan was seen as a ray of hope and is a source of immense happiness for its people. The war in Afghanistan started in 2001 and continued for over a decade, leaving its people and land completely shattered. That is when cricket became an emancipator. Today Afghanistan cricket is reaching new heights and the rise is indeed very steep.

Making a significant impact in Asia Cup 2014 followed by the World Cup 2015 and consistently performing thereafter, the Afghanistan cricket team secured a much-deserved Test status in June 2017.

Its national under-19 team also clinched the U-19 Asia Cup 2017 title.

The people of Afghanistan are ardent followers of the game and their fondness for IPL is no secret. With the IPL 2018 fever building up, Afghanistan cricket fans will be hoping to see more players from their homeland getting picked up by the IPL franchises.

Here's a look at 5 players who may shine in the IPL 2018 auctions :

#5 Najibullah Zadran - Left-handed batsman

Najibullah Zadran is a left-handed batsman who made his international debut in 2012 when he was just 19 years old. Zadran has been splendid in the T20 format. Here is a glimpse at his T20 career stats :

Zadran's average and strike rate are excellent in T20 format.

The belligerent Afghan bats at number six or seven and normally plays the role of a finisher in the team. His batting strike rate and the average are a testimony to his hitting abilities and temperament. Zadran is also honing his off-spin bowling skills.

He was picked up by the Chittagong Vikings in this year's Bangladesh Premier League (BPL 2017) and has scored 81 runs in 4 matches so far. The youngster is yearning to prove his mettle in world cricket and could be a good (and relatively affordable) buy for the IPL franchises.

#4 Dawlat Zadran - Right-arm fast-medium

Australia v Afghanistan - 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

Reminiscent of Pakistani fast bowler Waqar Younis, Dawlat Zardan can notch speeds up to 145 Kmph combined with great accuracy. He had climbed up to the 8th spot in ICC T20 rankings in January 2016 after an impressive run just prior to the T20 World Cup. A hit-the-deck-hard bowler, Zardan has a very aggressive approach toward the game and is a wicket-taker which is evident from his ODI and T20 stats :

Dawlat Zardan's stats

He has been in sublime form, picking up 11 wickets in the Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL 2017) playing for Band-e-Amir Region.

He was a part of the player pool in IPL 2017 auctions but remained unsold. However, Zadran would hope to see some change in fortunes in IPL 2018 auctions given his recent form and overall consistency.

#3 Samiullah Shenwari - All-rounder

Samiullah Shenwari is one of the most experienced cricketers in the Afghanistan side. He started off as a leg-spinner and then sharpened his batting skills to become the go-to man for Afghanistan under pressure situations.

He is a strong bottom-handed player who hits the ball hard. Shenwari's batting style and the way he approaches the game - staying on the crease and taking it till the end - reminds a lot of his teammates of MS Dhoni. Here are his stats :

Samiullah Shenwari's bowling stats

Samiullah Shenwari's batting stats

The leg-spinning all-rounder has the most number of 50+ scores and is the fourth highest wicket-taker for Afghanistan in ODIs. He can be very effective in Indian conditions. This is what Shenwari said about IPL in an interview in March 2016:

"I'm looking forward to being there in the IPL in the next two years. Everyone in the world is looking forward to playing the IPL."

He remained unsold in the IPL 2017 auctions, but one would hope that he gets his chance soon. He is currently playing with the Rangpur Riders in BPL 2017.

#2 Mohammad Nabi - All-rounder

The former captain of the Afghanistan team, who played his role in changing the face of Afghanistan cricket, Nabi a highly respected individual.

Mohammad Nabi bowls off-breaks and is known for his accuracy and shrewdness while bowling. When it comes to batting he is very tenacious and has a sound technique. His international stats:

Mohammad Nabi's bowling stats

Mohammad Nabi's batting stats

He and countryman Rashid Khan made history when they got picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2017. However, he did not get many opportunities in that season to prove his worth. In the 3 matches that he played, Nabi contributed by picking up 2 wickets at an economy rate of 5.27.

In IPL, having an overseas all-rounder is always advantageous for sides to maintain the right balance. Thus Nabi would be hoping to get another chance to prove his resourcefulness.

He is currently playing in the BPL for Comilla Victorians and has picked up 6 wickets in 4 matches so far.

#1 Rashid Khan - Leg-spinner

The 19-year old right-arm Afghanistan leg-spinner was sensational in the 2016 T20 World Cup. With his accuracy, turn and a deceptive googly he was able to rattle the opposition who found it very difficult to play against him. He managed 11 scalps in just 7 World Cup (WC) matches. His career stats are astounding - take a look:

Rashid's Khan's career stats

His performance in the WC and overall career stats led to a bidding war amongst the franchises in the IPL 2017 auctions. Finally, it was Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) who managed to acquire him for a whopping four crore Indian rupees, the highest any player from an associate nation has ever got.

Brimming with confidence after making history, Rashid was in his groove the entire IPL season, picking up 17 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 6.63 runs per over.

It would be interesting to see if SRH retain Rashid in IPL 2018.

Like in IPL, in BPL too Rashid shares his dressing room with Mohammad Nabi, with both playing for Comilla Victorians.