Srinagar: Former India skipper had promised former Afghanistan skipper that he will pick a player from Afghanistan in IPL if he loses 2 kg’s.
Asghar Afghan has revealed this while speakng about his chat with MS Dhoni in 2018. Recalling an incident during the 2018 Asia Cup, Afghan shared an anecdote about wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Shahzad expressing his desire to play for CSK.
“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),” Afghan was quoted by The Times of India.
“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 seven runs to win in the last over and Afghanistan needed one wicket to win the match. Rashid bowled the last over”.
“When three deliveries were remaining, Jadeja was on strike. Nabi and Rashid came and said, ‘Captain. bring all the players inside the circle or close to Jadeja’. 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. I knew Jadeja would make some room and (try to) smash the ball and would end up giving the catch. And he did the same. I will give credit to Rashid who bowled well and as per the plan,” Afghan further recalled.