IPL 2019: 5 Afghanistan players who can set the auction on fire

Afghanistan cricket has grown leaps and bounds in the last few years and some of their players have also honed their skills in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL). Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi became the first two players to get picked in the prestigious tournament. The duo has done to such an extent that they have been retained by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) ahead of next edition’s auction.

However, a number of other Afghan cricketers have also come to the fore and they haven’t flattered to deceive by any stretch of the imagination. Their players are known to tread the fearless approach and their intent has earned them with a number of laurels. A few of them can also attract significant bids in the IPL. In our article, we take a look at five of their players for whom the franchises can go berserk.

Shafiqullah Shafiq

Shafiqullah Shafiq hasn’t played a whole lot of international cricket, but that doesn’t undermine the fact that he is amongst the most destructive batsmen in Afghanistan. He mostly bats lower down the order and is someone, who doesn’t mind throwing his bat to inject impetus into the innings. He has played 41 T20Is and 24 ODIs for Afghanistan and has a strike-rate of 105.39 and 145.33 respectively.

Recently, the Nangarhar-born wicketkeeper-batsman plied his trade for Nangarhar Leopards in the inaugural edition of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) and turned out with some short, yet match-winning knocks. The right-hander has also done well for Shahid Afridi-captained Pakhtoons in the 2018 T10 League. On batting friendly Indian pitches, Shafiq can turn out to be a handy prospect.