There was a sense of uncertainty regarding the availability of the star Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan and the all-rounder Mohammad Nabi for the 2nd leg of IPL 2021, after the current situation in Afghanistan. The SRH management though now has confirmed that both the players will be available for the IPL.
K. Shanmugam, the CEO of Sunrisers Hyderabad while speaking to ANI has confirmed the availability of both Rashid and Nabi for the 14th edition of IPL. He said that though there has been no discussion with the players about the current situation, they are available for the rest of the IPL. “We haven’t spoken on what is happening at present, but they are available for the tournament,” he said.
The SRH CEO also revealed that the team will be leaving for UAE by the end of this month. The SRH contingent will reach UAE on August 31.
Rashid Khan is currently playing in ‘The Hundred’
Rashid khan is currently playing in the inaugural edition of ‘The Hundred’ in the UK. Despite the issues back in his country, he’s constantly bringing up performances for his team, Trent Rockets. Kevin Pietersen has revealed that Rashid Khan is worried about the situation in Afghanistan and is currently unable to get his family out of the country.
The majority of the population in Afghanistan is rushing to Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International (HKI) airport. The airport is currently jam-packed with people wanting to flee, due to the Taliban encroachment in the entire country.
Pietersen having talked to Rashid Khan about the situation in Afghanistan said that the player is under pressure. Pietersen also applauded the way Rashid has been performing despite all the worries. “For him to turn up and put on a performance like this under the pressure that he is currently under… For him to be able to forget that stuff and navigate his story and continue the momentum that he has. I think that’s probably one of the most heart-warming stories of this Hundred so far.” Pietersen said on Sky Sports.
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The 14th edition of IPL was earlier postponed halfway, in the month of May. Later BCCI announced that the remaining part of the IPL 2021 will be held in UAE. Hence, the 2nd leg of the IPL is set to kick off on September 19 in the UAE. The first match will be played between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in Dubai. A total of 31 matches are to be played. . Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi are the 3 venues where all the matches will be played.