'He's 15 years old, 6ft 2 inches tall': Suresh Raina's stunning trust on Afghan teenager before IPL 2023 auction
Former India cricketer Suresh Raina has shared his opinion on some of the newbie players who are likely to be pursued by the IPL franchises.
The mini-auction for Indian Premier League(IPL) 2023 is scheduled to be held in Kochi on Friday, December 23. It will offer the most talented players from across the globe and India's domestic circuit to go under the hammer and be a part of the richest cricket tournament on the planet. As the date of auction draws near, speculations are getting higher on who would fetch what amount and what new faces will mark their appearance before the cricket world.
Former India cricketer Suresh Raina has shared his opinion on some of the newbie players who are likely to be pursued by the IPL franchises. The left-handed batter first picked Jammu and Kashmir left-arm pacer Mujtaba Yousuf, who had played against and even dismissed him in the past. Raina also listed Saurashtra’s Samarth Vyas who performed well in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and hit the most sixes in the tournament (22). Vyas also scored a double ton during the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy and played a key role in Saurashtra's title win. Raina then picked 15-year-old Afghanistan spinner Allah Mohammad, who is the youngest in the auction.
“I played with Mujtaba (Yousuf) in the Syed Mushtaq Ali. As a left-arm fast bowler, he has a good action, and a good control on swing. Then you have Samarth Vyas from Saurashtra who has scored at a strike rate of over 150 and was among the top five run-getters in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and just won the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He is a very good future prospect. But watch out for Allah Mohammad. At 6ft 2inches and 15 years old, he is an off spinner with a big heart. A lot of talent coming from Afghanistan,” said Raina.
After playing local U-16 tournaments, Mohammad started to train with the Afghanistan U-19 team and made his debut in the Shpageeza League for Mis Ainak Knights. He claimed five in his first three matches including a 4/15 in his second match against Hindkush Stars.
A reputed all-rounder in his prime, Raina scored 5528 runs in 205 IPL matches with 39 half-centuries and one century at a strike rate of 136.73. He also picked 25 wickets in his IPL career.
