Mohammad Nabi believes that Afghan cricket has risen to a new stage, and he attributes a large part of that rise to the BCCI and the IPL. Speaking at Dubai Capitals at ILT20, Nabi said India’s support has helped Afghan players grow and feel ready for bigger global events.
He said the BCCI and the Indian government supported Afghanistan at key times and even helped build a ground in Kandahar. Nabi explained that Indian facilities and opportunities opened doors for young players who needed exposure.
Nabi pointed out that around 9 to 10 Afghan players played in the IPL last year. He said this experience sharpened the skills and boosted the national team. “They gave us a lot of exposure, and the experience we gained from that also helped us with the national team,” he said.
He spoke proudly about Afghanistan’s long cricketing journey. He called it a 24-year climb from ‘zero’ to a team that now plays World Cups and has already reached a semi-final. He said the path has had many highs and lows, but the team is now competing at a strong level. “I am very happy, and I am still enjoying my cricket,” Nabi said.
Eyes on the 2026 T20 World Cup
Nabi said Afghanistan will give their all in the 2026 T20 World Cup and believes the conditions in the subcontinent will help his team. He added that many Afghan players have already played several IPL games under similar conditions. “Hopefully we do better than in the last World Cup,” he said.
He also welcomed talks on a possible expansion of the World Test Championship. He said playing Test cricket against top teams would be a big learning step. “It will be a great experience to play with high-level Test teams,” he said.
Nabi’s words reflect how far Afghanistan has come. From a war-affected country trying to build a cricket culture, they have grown into a confident team looking forward to global events with confidence.
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