'Dhoni asked Shahzad to lose 20 kg but he instead gained 5 kg' - Asghar Afghan shares hilarious anecdote

Former India captain MS Dhoni has inspired millions of people all across the world and enjoys a massive fan following not just in India but worldwide. One of the biggest fans of Dhoni is Afghanistan wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Shahzad. Notably, Shahzad loves to play shots like the ‘Captain Cool’ and has even played a few matches with him.

Recently, former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan revealed that he had a long chat about Shahzad with Dhoni after India's tied match vs Afghanistan during Asia Cup 2018. He further revealed that the legendary Indian captain had promised to pick Shahzad in his IPL team if he lost 20 kg. However, Afghan revealed that instead of losing 20 kg, Shahzad ended up gaining five kg after returning to his country after the Asia Cup 2018.

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"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," Asghar Afghan told Times of India.

"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)," he added.

Notably, the tied match against Afghanistan was Dhoni’s last game as India captain. During the match, Mohammad Shahzad scored a magnificent 124 (116) and helped Afghanistan post 252/8 in their allotted 50 overs. In reply, India needed seven runs to win in the last over with Ravindra Jadeja facing Rashid Khan. The southpaw, however, hit the penultimate ball straight to deep midwicket with India needing one run to win. As a result, the match ended in a tie.

The tied match of the 2018 Asia Cup was the best moment for me: Asghar Afghan

Asghar Afghan calls that game the most memorable encounter of his career vs India as he managed to tie the game with his tactical brilliance.

Also read: Afghanistan to tour UAE for five white-ball fixtures in December

“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 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 plans” said Afghan.