T20 World Cup 2024: IPL exposure has helped the Afghanistan players – Jonathan Trott

Afghanistan’s head coach Jonathan Trott reckons Indian Premier League exposure has helped the team’s players. The Afghan team has won the first three matches of the Group stage against New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Uganda in the ongoing T20 World Cup and have an impressive Net Run Rate of +4.230 to be at the top of the table in Group C.

The Rashid Khan-led team has come up with a collective effort with both bat and ball in the first three games. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran has given solid starts to the team whereas the bowling line-up has come up with a collective effort.

Gurbaz has scored 167 in three matches at an average of 55.67 and an impressive strike rate of 154.63. Furthermore, Fazalhaq Farooqi has scalped 12 wickets in three matches.

Afghanistan players like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmed, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz have the experience of playing in the IPL and they are making the most of it.

“Well, I think the more exposure players have got to the IPL and different franchises where there’s pressure all the time in this format of the game, I think that’ll only do us well and serve us well going forward. I know that the players – and we had a lot of players at the IPL every time they come back, I can see a little bit of a difference or a change every time they go away to franchise good and bad changes,” Trott said in the pre-match press conference.

“It’s just about you know holding on to those good ones and you know making sure that we address things that need to be addressed. So, the guys are ready we just had a really good training session There was a lot of focus there. I know the boys take a lot of pride in representing their country. So tomorrow, we’ll be on it,” Trott added.

Afghanistan will take on West Indies on Monday in their last group stage match.