“Got a big tummy,” MS Dhoni once advised Afghanistan player to lose 20 Kg for IPL contract

Mohammad Asghar Afghan also credited Afghanistan's rise in world cricket to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for supporting them a lot.

“Got a big tummy,” MS Dhoni once advised Afghanistan player to lose 20 Kg for IPL contract

MS Dhoni (Image via ESPNcricinfo)

Former Afghanistan captain Mohammad Asghar Afghan recalled the 2018 Asia Cup match with India and his interaction with former India captain MS Dhoni. Asghar tagged that tied match as the best match because India needed one run and Afghanistan needed one wicket to win.

During an interview with The Times of India, he was asked whether he had any interaction with the Indian players and Dhoni, who was the then captain. Asghar said he had a long chat with Captain Cool and told him about Mohammad Shahzad, who was a huge fan of him. Dhoni, however, jokingly said that if Shahzad has a big tummy and if he loses some kilos, he will be picked in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

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After the tie match, I had a long chat with MS Dhoni. He is a superb captain and a God's gift to Indian cricket. He is a nice human being. We spoke about Shahzad a lot. I told Dhoni bhai that Shahzad is your big fan. Dhoni said Shahzad has got a big tummy and if he loses 20 kg, I will pick him in the IPL.
Asghar told the Times of India

He added:

But when Shahzad returned to Afghanistan after the series, he gained five more kgs (laughs).

That Asia Cup match ended in India’s favor when Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning run off Rashid Khan’s delivery. Asghar, who captained the side during the match, has played six Tests, 114 ODIs, and 75 T20Is. He became Afghanistan’s captain in 2015 and led the side till 2021.

Mohammad Asghar Afghan credits BCCI and IPL for Afghanistan’s rise in world cricket

Afghanistan shed the ‘minnows’ tag after their stellar performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, the team produced the biggest upset when they hammered defending champions England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, then Bangladesh, and were on the cusp of beating Australia but an innings from Glenn Maxwell ruined everything.

MS Dhoni
Rashid Khan (Image via ESPNcricinfo)

Mohammad Asghar Afghan credited Afghanistan’s rise in world cricket to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for supporting them a lot. He also praised the Indian Premier League (IPL) for making Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan polished players. Asghar believes their body language and analysis of the game have changed drastically after playing in the IPL.

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