Mohammad Nabi, who is one of the two players from Afghanistan competing in the tenth edition of the Indian Premier League, viewed the tournament as a chance for him to show the world that his war-torn country has talent in their ranks, reported PTI on Friday.
“There are lot of expectations from me and Rashid [Khan] to perform in IPL. They [cricket fans back home] are waiting. Hopefully, we perform well. If I get a chance, I will try my best to perform,” Nabi said.
Nabi, an all-rounder, and Rashid, who is a leg-spinner, were acquired by Sunrisers Hyderabad. The latter made a sparkling debut in the tournament opener, finishing with figures of 2/36, “It’s a big challenge for me and Rashid to prove to the world that we have talent,” Nabi said.
The 32-year-old also spoke the India’s influence in Afghanistan, which ranged from sharing sporting icons, and helped the nation build a new stadium, “India is building a cricket ground in Kandahar. MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are some of the Indian players who are popular in Afghanistan,” he said. Afghanistan recently defeated Ireland in both the Twenty20 International and One-day International series in India.