WATCH: After Rashid Khan, another Afghanistan cricketer pulls of MS Dhoni-style helicopter shot in PSL

After Rashid Khan popularised it in Pakistan Super League (PSL), another Afghan batter pulled it off on Sunday during a PSL game.

The helicopter shot, introduced by former India skipper MS Dhoni, had served as a powerful weapon for most batters in the slog overs of limited overs cricket. After the legendary cricketer, his compatriot Hardik Pandya has been seen using it quite often during Indian Premier League matches. But no one has used it as extensively as the batters of the Afghanistan cricket team. After Rashid Khan popularised it in Pakistan Super League (PSL), another Afghan batter pulled it off on Sunday during a PSL game.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz pulls off the helicopter shot (Twitter grab)

Playing for Islamabad United, in the match against Peshawar Zalmi at the National Stadium in Karachi, in the fifth match of the 2022 season, Afghanistan international Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit Sohail Khan for a massive six over mid-wicket in the 16th over of the chase, executing the famous helicopter shot, a hard bottom-handed shot to whip the ball high over the fences.

He followed it up with another consecutive six and then a boundary before Alex Hales added the finish touch with his flurry of boundaries in the next over to help Islamabad beat Peshawar by nine wickets.

Earlier in the game, Peshawar Zalmi were put to bat after losing the toss and Islamabad bowling attack got off to an impressive start. Peshawar lost three wickets for 35 runs in the powerplay and continued to stumble through the middle overs before the pair of Shoaib Malik and Sherfane Rutherford rebuild the innings with their 73-run stand. Malik scored 22-ball 25 laced with two boundaries and a six while the latter scored an unbeaten 70 off 46, comprising seven boundaries and three sixes.

In response to the 169-run target, Islamabad pulled off a stellar 112-run opening stand with Paul Stirling scoring 57 off 25 while Hales remained unbeaten on 82 off 54, lacing 13 boundaries and one six. After Stirling's dismissal, Gurbaz ably supported Hales with his 16-ball 27 which helped the team reach the target in 15.5 overs.