Afghanistan is in turmoil after the sudden takeover of the government by the Taliban insurgents. The political condition in the nation has resulted in an atmosphere of uncertainty. Naturally, the sporting realm has also been affected. The IPL 2021 matches schedule has been released, which were postponed due to a sudden rise in the number of Covid-19 cases .
Now, the season is all set to commence on September 19 in UAE. But the situation in Afghanistan questioned the availability of Afghan players in the tournament. The Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise comprises two Afghan players Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan. As per reports, both the players will be playing in the UAE leg despite the Taliban takeover.
The players were last seen playing in the Hundred league in England. While Khan represented Trent Rockets, Nabi was a part of the London Spirits. The BCCI initially reported that it was too early for them to comment on the situation. But the board kept a keen eye on the developments to confirm the availability of the players.
SRH Confirms Rashid Khan And Mohammad Nabi’s Presence In IPL 2021 UAE Leg
The CEO of Sunrisers Hyderabad, K. Shanmugan, revealed that the players would be a part of the UAE leg. The Sunrisers Hyderabad team was all set to leave for UAE at the end of August to begin preparation for the upcoming matches. Sunrisers Hyderabad has been one of the most consistent teams in the history of IPL. But the first phase of IPL 2021 was quite disappointing for the team.
The team only won one IPL match out of the seven games it played in the first half. But with the game being postponed, the team now has the opportunity to bounce back. Rashid Khan has been in his exceptional form even though the team failed to perform. The player took 20 wickets in the last season of the IPL. Mohammad Nabi is one of the best all-rounders in the world currently. He will be a great asset for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the upcoming UAE leg.
Tweets Of Mohammad Nabi And Rashid Khan
Both the players have made their resistance towards the Taliban through their tweets. The players pleaded with global leaders to intervene and prevent the nation from sinking into chaos. They signaled their worries on Twitter by wanting peace in Afghanistan. Rashid Khan described in his tweet how the people of Afghanistan are being martyred and displaced from their homes. He highlighted the troubles of the people as their properties were destroyed.
Former England skipper Kevin Peterson revealed how worried Rashid Khan is for not being able to rescue his family from Afghanistan. The ongoing turmoil in the nation has also affected flight operations. Peterson was filled with praise for Rashid Khan’s performance in the Hundred league. The player was able to navigate through the matches despite what was going on back at his home. Peterson believes that Rashid Khan’s ability to continue his momentum amidst a difficult situation is one of the most heartwarming stories of the Hundred to date.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Nabi posted how his heart bleeds to see the current condition of Afghanistan. He pointed out that Afghanistan is in the middle of a humanitarian crisis. Families are displaced from their homes. They are leaving for the airport with an unknown future ahead of them. Nabi appealed to the world leaders to save Afghanistan from this deep-seated chaos. The player ended his tweet requesting the support of world leaders.
Wrapping Up
Afghanistan is also lagging behind in its preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Rashid Khan is the captain of the T20 team. They were scheduled to tour Sri Lanka for six white-ball games. But the travel plans to Sri Lanka will take a hit due to the ongoing crisis in the country. Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad is all set to play in the UAE league of the IPL. They will strive to climb up the points table to avoid getting eliminated in the league stage.
With Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, the team is likely to come back stronger in the UAE leg. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s first match in the UAE leg is on September 22. The match will take place in Dubai, and the team will play against Delhi Capitals. The last match of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the league stage of IPL 2021 is on October 8 against Mumbai Indians. Watch all the matches and place your bet online.