Gulbadin Naib praised the IPL as a 'dream' platform, stating it provides invaluable experience for Afghan players. He credited leagues like the IPL and ILT20 for Afghanistan's improved performance, including their recent T20 World Cup run.
Dubai Capitals all-rounder Gulbadin Naib highlighted the significance of the Indian Premier League (IPL), calling it a dream platform for cricketers, and credited it for giving Afghan players valuable experience and exposure, which they share with teammates, ultimately boosting Afghanistan's performance. Naib has played for the Delhi Capitals in IPL. Naib made 19 runs in two matches for DC in IPL, at an average of 19.00 and a strike rate of 126.66. His stint in the IPL was a small one, and he wasn't able to make much impact, but he showed glimpses of his talent. Apart from Naib, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Noor Khan are some notable Afghan players to feature in the IPL.
'IPL is our dream'
"The IPL is a huge platform for everyone. I've always wanted to play in the IPL. It's our dream... Our players who have played these leagues, particularly the IPL, have shared their experience with the team in the dugout, be it Rashid, Mujeeb, Nabi, Gurbaz, and Naveen... We are lucky to share such a big platform with top players and express ourselves. We are fortunate to play in the IPL. It gives us a massive advantage," Gulbadin Naib told ANI.
ILT20 crucial for T20 World Cup preparation
He also emphasised the importance of the International League T20 (ILT20), stating that it's a vital platform for Afghanistan players, allowing them to gain crucial experience and contribute to the team's success in the upcoming T20 World Cup. The landmark 10th edition of the tournament will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, featuring matches across eight venues from February 7 to March 8. "If you look at the World Cups we've played, we haven't had that much preparation because we haven't had that much opportunity... This league (International League T20) is a good platform for our players. If you look at Afghanistan's performance, it's all thanks to these leagues," Gulbadin Naib told ANI.
Afghanistan's T20 World Cup journey
Afghanistan performed really well in the previous edition of the T20 World Cup. Afghanistan reached the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time. However, their inspirational, dreamy run ended in this fixture as South Africa defeated them by nine wickets.
Afghanistan is placed in Group D alongside New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and the UAE. A total of 40 group matches will be played between February 7 and 20, with the top two sides from each group progressing to the Super Eights phase of the tournament, which commences on February 21.
The top four sides at the completion of the Super Eights qualify for the knockout stages of the event, with semi-finals to be held in Kolkata/Colombo and Mumbai ahead of the title decider on March 8 in Ahmedabad/Colombo. (ANI)
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