5 players who played a massive role in Afghanistan’s phenomenal rise in world cricket ft. Rashid Khan
Afghanistan scripted history on Tuesday, June 24, when they booked their spot in the semifinal of the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup by beating Bangladesh in Kingston, St Vincent.
The Afghans batted first at the Arnos Vale ground in a virtual quarterfinal for them and put up 115-5 in 20 overs. Repeated rain interruptions during Bangladesh's chase saw them being handed a target of 114 in 19 overs. But they were bowled out for 105 in 17.5 overs, handing Afghanistan a semifinal spot.
Afghanistan will now play South Africa in the first semifinal at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad on Wednesday, 27 June and hope to enter the final.
The war-torn nation's rise in the cricketing world has been nothing short of phenomenal and it will be tough for most of us to understand the challenges and difficulties their players must have gone through.
In this listicle, we take a look at five players who have played a big role in Afghanistan's extraordinary rise:
#1 Rashid Khan
It goes without saying that the first name on this list has to be that of ace leg-spinning all-rounder Rashid Khan. He is the most famous cricketer to have come from the country and is now among the most well-known players in the world.
Rashid arrived on the scene as a young mystery spinner in 2015. He also had a handy skill of hitting the ball a long way while batting lower down the order.
He is now one of the most sought-after players in T20 franchise leagues and has overseen the enormous growth of Afghanistan cricket.
#2 Mohammad Nabi
Mohammad Nabi is the most senior player in the Afghanistan cricket team. A veteran of 161 ODIs, 128 T20Is and three Tests, Nabi is more than just a handy spin-bowling all-rounder.
Although he may consider himself to be more of a batting all-rounder, Nabi is effective with the ball in white-ball cricket and can stifle the run-scoring options of the best batters in the world.
The 39-year-old is a wily and smart customer and has a lot of experience under his belt. He has played a massive role in Afghan cricket's rise.
#3 Ibrahim Zadran
Opening batter Ibrahim Zadran, one of the most solid white-ball openers in the world, has played a big role in Afghan cricket's recent rise.
Zadran is a technically sound batter who does not like to chase deliveries outside the off stump and allows them to come to him while he plays them under his eyes.
He has been one of the most consistent batters for the current Afghanistan team. The most definitive knock of his career would be the 87 he scored on his Test debut against Bangladesh in Chattogram.
Of course, it needs no reminding that it was a historic win for the Afghans over their Asian opponents that cemented their spot as a force to reckon with.
#4 Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz is a vital cog in the Afghanistan batting wheel. His aggressive approach up top has allowed his teammates to play themselves in, thereby solidifying the batting order which was once considered easy to overpower.
Gurbaz also top-scored for Afghanistan with 43 against Bangladesh and continues to outline the role he has been given - to get his team off to a good start across all conditions.
IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders also made good use of his services in the 2024 edition.
#5 Rahmat Shah
Top-order batter Rahmat Shah, the leading run-scorer for Afghanistan in ODIs with 3730 runs in 111 matches at an average of 36.21, has been one of their most crucial players recently.
Shah scored the first-ever Test century by an Afghan against Bangladesh in a one-off Test in 2019 and has turned heads with his technically solid batting and strong-willed composure.
Although he is not a part of the ongoing T20 World Cup (he has only played in one T20I in his career so far), his contribution towards Afghan cricket cannot be ignored. He is one of the finest batters to have come out of the war-torn nation.