Explosive Afghanistan batters aims to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of IPL 2024 player auction
Royal Challengers Bangalore (Image Credit: Twitter)
Indian Premier League’s (IPL) three-time finalists Royal Challengers Bangalore has been a fan favorite for a lot of people. Over the years, given the superstardom they have carried, a lot of fans want them to win the tournament. In every season, they have been lacking in one department or the other. Now, even their most loyal fans might be running out of patience.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s lower middle-order batter Najibullah Zadran has said that he aims to play for the three-time finalists. The left-hander played for the Afghans in only the first two games of the ODI World Cup 2023. During the tournament, the Asian side was in contention for making it to their first semifinal. However, their lack of experience kicked in and that didn’t happen. Meanwhile, the Afghanistan international has said that he hopes to win the IPL title with RCB.
“Every player dreams of playing in the IPL. So is mine. I want to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Virat Kohli hasn’t won the IPL, and hopefully, this time, we win it,” Zadran said in an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times.
It is important to practice range-hitting: Najibullah Zadran on Afghanistan doing well in T20Is
During the interview, Zadran was asked about why his national side is so good in T20I cricket. He also spoke about his preparations as a number-five or six batters.
“It is important to practice range-hitting for that. When we finish net sessions, we specifically train for boundaries. My position is 5-6 and my turn usually comes in the final overs. So, I usually train range-hitting. Because more often than not, there will be situations where I need to score at least 12-14 runs-per-over in those final overs. Maybe more than that. It is important to be prepared for that aspect.
“As far as the team is concerned, we have been playing really well since last two years. We are already focussing on getting the best combinations set for the T20 World Cup.”
