Gulbadin Naib made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut on Tuesday, May 7, as Delhi Capitals (DC) included him in their squad for the home match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. With over a decade of international cricket experience since 2011, the 32-year-old Naib has captained Afghanistan in the 2019 ODI World Cup held in England and Wales.
Naib was brought in as a replacement for Mitchell Marsh, who is currently sidelined due to a hamstring injury. In the match against RR, Naib took the place of South African pacer Lizaad Williams in the playing XI. With 126 T20 matches under his belt, Gulbadin has accumulated 1626 runs and claimed 70 wickets.
Naib now joins a select group of Afghan cricketers who have featured in the IPL, including Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Although left-arm wrist spinner Zahir Khan Pakteen was signed by the Royals in IPL 2018, he did not get the chance to play due to injury.
In addition to Naib, South Africa’s Donovan Ferreira also made his IPL debut for RR. The 25-year-old, who represents the Joburg Super Kings in South Africa’s T20 league, has amassed 933 runs in 53 T20 matches, showcasing a strike rate of 153.96. Ferreira’s impressive record includes four half-centuries and a highest score of 82 not out.
With the Royals on the cusp of securing a playoff berth with just one more win, DC is striving to break into the top four after an initial series of setbacks.
