“If he loses 20 kg, I will pick him in the IPL” - Asghar Afghan recalls hilarious MS Dhoni tale from 2018 Asia Cup tied match
Former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan has narrated a hilarious MS Dhoni tale from the 2018 Asia Cup tied match with India. Afghan recalled that post the match, he had an interaction with the Indian legend and told him that Mohammad Shahzad was a big fan of his. Dhoni quipped that if Shahzad lost 20 kilos, he would pick the batter in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Shahzad was the Player of the Match in the 2018 Asia Cup clash against India, which was played in Dubai. He hammered 124 off 116 balls, slamming 11 fours and a six, as Afghanistan put up 252/8 batting first. In the chase, the Men in Blue were all out for 252 in 49.5 overs.
In an interview with TimesofIndia.com, Afghan recalled the funny exchange he had with Dhoni over Shahzad after the pulsating encounter.
“After the tied match, I had a long chat with MS Dhoni. He is a superb captain and a god's gift to Indian cricket. He is a nice human being. We spoke about Mohammad Shahzad a lot. I told Dhoni bhai that Shahzad is your big fan. Dhoni said Shahzad has got a big tummy and if he loses 20 kg, I will pick him in the IPL. But when Shahzad returned to Afghanistan after the series, he gained 5 more kgs (laughs),” the 35-year-old commented.
A right-handed batter, Afghan played six Tests, 114 ODIs, and 75 T20Is, scoring 440, 2424, and 1382 runs, respectively.
“The tied match of the 2018 Asia Cup was the best moment for me” - Asghar Afghan
Staying on the topic of the tied match with India, the former Afghanistan captain termed it as the best moment for him. India needed seven runs to win off the last over and it all came down to one off two balls. Ravindra Jadeja (25) was caught at midwicket off the penultimate delivery bowled by Rashid Khan.
Revisiting the classic game, Afghan said:
“The tied match of the 2018 Asia Cup was the best moment for me. That was the best match. Both Afghanistan and Indian fans were in tension.
“India needed 1 off two balls. I decided to place Najib (Najibullah Zadran) towards mid-on. I told Rashid to bowl leg break and Jadeja was out caught to Najib towards mid-wicket. Rashid was so happy, he hugged me,” the former skipper concluded.
Rashid finished the match with figures of 2/41, while Mohammad Nabi and Aftab Alam also claimed two wickets each.