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The ascendancy of franchise-level T20 cricket around the world has been a blessing for numerous youngsters who otherwise struggled to shot to prominence. When it comes to unfurling next-generation of superstars on the global stage, no other leagues come close to the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Over the year, the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan among others have attained worldwide fame only after putting up a stellar display in the IPL. At the same time, there are few players who don’t get much recognition despite having a decent campaign in the tournament.
Gautam Gambhir, the former India cricketer, feels that Mohammad Nabi is one such cricketer whose contribution in the game often gets overlooked.
“According to me, he is the most underrated player in T20 cricket. You talk about Kieron Pollard, AB de Villiers, Rashid Khan, or David Warner but if you see his contribution, he is a brilliant fielder, gives you four overs with the ball, bowls in the first 6 overs, bats at No.5 or No.6, and can play the big shots,” Gambhir said on Star Sports show ‘Cricket Connected’.
Gambhir further opined that Nabi is not far behind the talisman Andre Russell when it comes to the shortest format of the game.
“We talk about Andre Russell as a quality all-rounder but Mohammad Nabi probably may not be in that category but he is not that far behind. Because he comes from Afghanistan, who do not play that much cricket, so people do not rate him that much,” Gambhir added.
‘Nabi deserves more game-time at Sunrisers’
The cricketer-turned-politician further added that Nabi does not get many opportunities because of the presence of foreign players like David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Rashid Khan and Kane Williamson at Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
“He is also in a franchise where you play David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Rashid Khan, and Kane Williamson, so he does not get that many opportunities. If Mohammad Nabi was in some other franchise, he would have played all the 14 matches in the IPL. And if you play him in all the 14 matches of the IPL, you will come to know his impact,” concluded Gambhir.
