By Ishwar Nath Jha
New Delhi, Mar 27 (IANS): Afghanistan's cricketers may have been tagged as foreigners in the Indian Premier League, but most of their time is spent in India.
The players had earlier made their 'home' in Greater Noida and Dehradun due to the poor domestic condition in their country, but now they are living in Abu Dhabi. Most of the Afghanistan cricketers wanted to play in the cash-rich league, but only six players including star all-rounder Rashid Khan, are lucky to get the chance and ready to excel in the IPL 2022.
Let's take a look at some of the Afghan cricketers who are playing in the IPL 2022:
Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans)
The talismanic Rashid Khan is in the new franchise Gujarat Titans. Reckoned as the vital cog in the side, the former national team captain is the most expensive Afghan player of IPL 2022. Gujarat Titans picked him for Rs 15 crore after he was relieved by his former franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Rashid has played 76 IPL matches so far, scalping 93 wickets at an economy rate of 6.33. The right hand batter's ability to hit over the ropes makes him a valuable player in the shortest format.
Noor Ahmad (Gujarat Titans)
Rashid Khan will be accompanied in the franchise by the 17-year-old left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad, who is the youngest player in the IPL 2022. Noor is yet to make his international debut, but Gujrat Titans paid Rs 30 lakh to get him in the team.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Gujarat Titans)
Gujarat Titans signed another Afghanistan player Rahmanullah Gurbaz as the replacement for Jason Roy. The 20-year-old joins his countrymen Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad in the Gujarat Titans after the England star pulled out of IPL 2022 due to personal reasons.
Gurbaz came to limelight after scoring a century on ODI debut against Ireland at Abu Dhabi in 2021. He was the first Afghan cricketer to achieve this rare feat.
A right-handed wicket-keeper-batter, Gurbaz had represented Afghanistan in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. Since making his senior international debut in 2019, he has played nine One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 20 T20 Internationals so far.
Fazalhaq Farooqi (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
The 20-year-old young left-arm pacer has been included in the Sunrisers Hyderabad. He made his T20I debut for Afghanistan, against Zimbabwe, on March 20, 2021. Later the same month, Chennai Super Kings included Farooqi as a net bowler in their squad for 2021 IPL. Farooqi also served as Kings XI Punjab's net bowler in the 2020 edition of the IPL.
Farooqi had a good start to his international career, taking 7 wickets in four matches in ODIs and six wickets in three matches in T20Is.
Mohammad Nabi (Kolkata Knight Riders)
The current captain of Afghanistan's T20 team is an attacking all-rounder, playing as a right-handed batsman and off break bowler. He has been picked by the KKR for Rs 1 crore. Nabi played his first first-class match for Afghanistan in the 2009-10 ICC Intercontinental Cup against Zimbabwe XI. He announced his retirement from Test cricket in 2019 to prolong his limited overs career. Nabi, termed as a T20 traveller, is associated with numerous franchises including Melbourne Renegades, Karachi Kings and Northamptonshire County Cricket Club.
Izharulhaq Naveed (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have drafted in young Afghanistan cricketer Izharulhaq Naveed as a net bowler for the IPL 2022. The 18-year-old leg-spinner recently impressed one and all by his impeccable bowling in the U19 World Cup 2022 in the West Indies.