Two Afghans will light up the 2017 edition of the Indian Premier League

Bless the Indian Premier League.

For all the controversies, scandals and commercialisation of the game, India’s cash-rich Twenty20 league can still throw up moments which make sport worthwhile. One such moment came in the player auction in Bengaluru on Monday. For the first time in the history of the IPL, five Afghan cricket players and an United Arab Emirates player were featuring in the auction.

For Afghanistan Cricket Board’s chief executive Shafiq Stanikzai, watching the game in the early hours of the morning from Kabul, the first few hours were a bit of a let-down as the team captain Asghar Stanikzai and Mohammad Shahzad were passed over. But then, as he told ESPNCricinfo, Afghanistan got “third time lucky”. All-rounder Mohammad Nabi became the first player from his country to get an IPL deal when Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him for his base price, Rs 30 lakh. He later said, “This is the happiest day in my life”.

When dreams come true

But the best was yet to come. A while later, their teenage leg-spinner Rashid Khan’s name was announced. His base price was Rs 50 lakh, but that didn’t matter much. Within seconds, Hyderabad and the Mumbai Indians were involved in a furious bidding war for him. The price crossed Rs 1 crore, then Rs 2 crore and then Rs 3 crore. Finally Mumbai dropped out at Rs 3.8 crore. Hyderabad had snapped up Khan for a mind-boggling Rs 4 crore. Keep in mind, this was in an auction where the world’s best Twenty20 International bowler and a leg-spinner himself, Imran Tahir had gone unsold.

Back in February 2016, when Khan was playing in the World Twenty20, he had told ICC-Cricket that playing international cricket against a Test nation was a “dream”. Now after the events of the auction, he freely admitted to ESPNCricinfo that he just “couldn’t believe it”.

The Associate nations’ day out at the auction became even better later in the day as the UAE’s Chirag Suri was also bought by the Gujarat Lions for Rs 10 lakh.

Rashid Khan Afridi?

But what makes Rashid Khan so special? The 18-year-old stated that he started playing cricket only in 2012 and has had a meteoric rise. His action has a hint of his idol Shahid Afridi in him, the quick-run up, the fast pace with which he delivers the ball and at times, even the celebration. And his numbers are without doubt, incredible. Forty-seven wickets in 30 Twenty20s at an average of 14.80 and a strike rate of 14.7 are brilliant. And that too, just at the age of 18.

Most of Rashid’s 21 Twenty20 Internationals have come against the Associate nations but he has held his own when he’s come up against the big guns. His best of 3/11 came against Zimbabwe in Nagpur at the World Twenty20 last year. England were in serious trouble against Afghanistan at the same tournament – Khan floored Ben Stokes completely and also took the wicket of Chris Jordan to finish with figures of 2/17 in his four overs.

In the next match against eventual world champions West Indies, the 18-year-old played a big role as Afghanistan defended a meagre 123 to record a big upset. Khan picked up Marlon Samuels in his first over and also got Dinesh Ramdin to finish with figures of 2/26.

When it comes to Twenty20 leagues, Khan already has a fantastic track record. He was the joint-highest wicket-taker for his team, the Comilla Victorians in the Bangladesh Premier League with 13 wickets in eight matches at an average of 14.92. Also note the economy rate, just 6.06.

Battle-hardened Nabi

Khan’s Afghan teammate at Hyderabad, Mohammad Nabi is a far more experienced professional. Making his debut in 2009, Nabi has seen Afghanistan’s rise from the World Cricket League Division 5 to now on the verge of getting Test status. A hard-hitting all-rounder, he’s no stranger to playing in Twenty20 leagues, having turned out for the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League in 2016 as well as for three different teams in three years in the BPL.

Nabi was the highest wicket-taker at the World Twenty20. He took 4/20 against Hong Kong but was frugal against the big teams as well: 1/25 against Sri Lanka, 1/35 against South Africa in a match where Faf du Plessis’s team put up 209, 2/17 against England and probably a match-winning 2/26 against West Indies.

The Afghan all-rounder also has good numbers in the BPL. He finished the 2015 season with Rangpur Riders with seven wickets in eight matches at an average of 20.28. In 2016 with new club Chittagong Vikings, he was third on the top wicket-taker’s list with 19 wickets at an average of 15.00 in 13 matches.

Without doubt, Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi are going to offer a completely different experience at the Indian Premier League. And with Mustafizur Rahman also in their ranks, Sunrisers Hyderabad are looking exceedingly dangerous this season.