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Amid the ongoing political unrest in Afghanistan, BCCI is hopeful about the participation of Afghan cricketers taking part in the second phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021). The tournament is slated to take place in the UAE, starting Septemer 19.
According to a PTI report, the governing council is keeping a close track of the developments and expects Afghan cricketers to participate in IPL 2021.
“It is too early to comment but we are keeping a watch. For us, nothing changes and we expect Rashid and other Afghan players would be part of IPL,” a BCCI source told PTI.
While the cricketers are yet to comment on the same, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi's franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad have confirmed that both cricketers will be traveling to the UAE for the T20 blitz. Speaking to ANI, K Shanmugam said:
“We haven’t spoken on what is happening at present, but they are available for the tournament…We are leaving at the end of the month, August 31."
On that note, let's take a look at 3 Afghanistan players who will participate in the 2nd phase of IPL 2021.
Rashid Khan
Leg-spinner Rashid Khan is an integral member of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad and is largely responsible for their consistent performances in the competition.
The Afghanistan-born cricketer was in his usual element in the first half of the IPL 2021, picking up 10 wickets from seven matches. However, Hyderabad struggled to perform as a team and managed to win only one game from seven outings.
Rashid, who has been in spectacular form in the ongoing The Hundred in England, will hope to keep up the good work and help his franchise win all the remaining games to give themselves the best chance of a top-four finish.
Mohammad Nabi
A stalwart of Afghanistan cricket, the all-rounder is a utility cricketer who provides balance in a playing XI. With only four overseas slots available, Mohammad Nabi managed to play only two matches, scoring 31 runs and picking up two wickets.
Meanwhile, Nabi has been in exceptional form with the ball in The Hundred competition and could be a handy weapon for Kane Williamson on turning wickets in the UAE. Besides, he can play the long handle batting down the order, scoring some useful runs in death overs.
Overall, Nabi has featured in 16 IPL matches since his debut in 2017, scoring 177 runs and has picked up 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.92.
Mujeeb-ur-Rahman
He is a complete package. Mujeeb-ur-Rahman took the cricketing world by surprise with his deceptive variations. He can bowl the traditional off-break, bowl leg-spin and googlies and is currently one of the best spinners in the shortest format.
Only 20 years old, Mujeeb has earned himself recognition across the globe with his ability to pick up wickets at regular intervals. While his stocks have grown ever since his first international appearance, the Afghanistan cricketer found it difficult to break into Sunrisers Hyderabad's playing XI due to the maganimous presence of Rashid Khan.
However, with UAE assisting spinners, Mujeeb could turn out to be a deadly customer in the second half of IPL 2021. The Orange Army start their 2nd half campaign against the Delhi Capitals on September 22.
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