Picture Credit: X
The India versus Afghanistan three-match T20I series ended in a thrilling fashion with the match going into two Super Overs. However, it was the Rohit Sharma-led Team India who had the last laugh as they whitewashed the visitors at home. After earlier posting 212/4 with an unbeaten 190-run stand between Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh for the fifth wicket, the Ibrahim Zadran-led side put up a great performance to push the match in the Super Over.
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While Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran gave a strong start, scoring fifties, Gulbadin Naib starred with his unbeaten 55 off 23 balls. He joined Mohammad Nabi in the list of joint-fastest fifty for Afghanistan in T20Is and definitely did not go unnoticed in the eyes of the Indians despite a hard loss.
Ravichandran Ashwin, the Indian all-rounder had words for the IPL franchises for the Afghanistan all-rounder. While he took to X (formerly Twitter) demanding an IPL contract for Naib, he also spoke of volumes in his YouTube channel. “Gulbadin Naib says “notice me please, will you”?? I am a finisher from Asia with a base price of 50L,” Ashwin wrote.
The 32-year-old Afghan cricketer entered the IPL auctions in 2018 and 2019 at a base price of INR 50 Lakh but could not get a buyer. Speaking of IPL 2024, the Afghan who led the side in 2019 ODI World Cup went unsold at the mini-auction in December last year.
MI would have been happy to have got Mohammad Nabi: Ashwin
The veteran Indian all-rounder, R Ashwin also highlighted how Mumbai Indians have played brilliantly with their strategies. Speaking on his YouTube channel after India’s series win against Afghanistan added that MI would be happy to have roped in Nabi in their ranks ahead of IPL 2024.
“MI would have been very happy to have gotten Mohammad Nabi at the auction. He can spin at Wankhede; he can bat. We also have the impact player rule,” Ashwin said hailing MI’s top-class strategies.