Picture Credit: Twitter
According to recent reports, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have roped in uncapped Afghanistan leg-spinner Izharulhaq Naveed as net bowler for the upcoming 2022 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Naveed confirmed the news as he posted a picture in the RCB jersey on his Instagram story.
Izharulhaq Naveed made his first appearance on the international cricketing circuit in the recent Under-19 World Cup in the West Indies. The 18-year-old had a great World Cup as he took ten wickets with an efficient economy of 3.63 in six games. Now, Naveed has a chance to take a massive leap in his career as he will take the field alongside greats of the game like Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Glen Maxwell, etc.
Check out his story here:
Additionally, an impressive show in the nets could earn him a hefty IPL contract in the upcoming season. Naveed could very well take the path selected by many of his senior team players like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb-ur- Rahman, Mohammed Nabi, etc.
New season, new captain
RCB recently announced South Africa batter Faf du Plessis as their new captain for the upcoming season. While speaking with RCB, he expressed how honoured and privileged to get the opportunity. “Thank you very much, everyone. First of all, you said pretty powerful words. Obviously coming in as an outsider, I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity”, quoted Izharulhaq Naveed.
“I accept that this is a big moment for me and also the standard dynamics that comes along with it, it is no small thing to trust an outsider, which is an overseas player to do the job of a leader,” he added.
“My style of doing that is not doing it my way. I will be relying heavily on the experience of not just our domestic players but also our international players. We have got great captains,” the 37-year-old continued.
“We also have one of the great leaders in the game, Virat. He will be my shadow and will ensure the fact that we bounce everything off each other. But it’s a huge honour and privilege for me to come across to a big franchise. Watching the video (about RCB’s journey), it really inspired me. It was beautiful watching all the memories”, Naveed concluded.