Afghanistans leader Rashid Khan fondly recalled the impactful meeting with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar during the 2023 ODI World Cup. Tendulkars wisdom deeply resonated with the team setting the stage for their upcoming clash against Australia at Mumbais Wankhede Stadium. The Afghan players benefitted greatly from Tendulkars guidance creating a memorable experience before their crucial match on November 6.
The Little Master also held one-on-one meetings with various Afghan players and delivered a motivational talk to the team. Sachin Tendulkar also gave a souvenir to experienced all-rounder Mohammad Nabi.
Rashid Khan, ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, recounted the unforgettable session in an interview with ESPN Cricinfo, saying:
“That was kind of a dream for every player that he [Tendulkar] came in and gave us that time. He didn’t only come for about five or ten minutes. He was there for the whole session and that was the beauty. And we have learned a lot from that experience. But what was more important for me was that he told us he admired the skills of everyone and what we had achieved, that you guys are capable of beating any side – like we did, beating England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the World Cup.”
Rashid Khan
Rashid also mentioned Tendulkar’s observations on the Wankhede Stadium, which ultimately aided Afghanistan in the match against Australia.
“The advice he gave and the ideas he shared about the wicket helped not just the youngsters, but everyone. The knowledge he gave about Wankhede really helped: as a bowling unit, he said, go harder in the first five to six overs because you can take advantage of the conditions that are favourable for bowlers. For the batters, he said, take it easy in the initial five to six overs. He said it was fine to take time because once the top order was settled, we can accelerate score big runs.”
Rashid Khan
Afghanistan upset the Australian bowlers with a spectacular batting effort, hitting 291/5 from 50 overs.
However, with the Australians on the ropes at 91/7, the Afghans squandered an opportunity for a historic victory. Glenn Maxwell was out early in his innings, but made Afghanistan pay with a stunning 201* from 128 to help Australia win by three wickets.
“Whenever I perform a little bit and a tweet comes from him, that gives me so much energy” – Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan went on to say that even an appreciative post from Sachin Tendulkar on his performance may make a huge impact and raise his energy levels. He also revealed colleague Ibrahim Zadran’s thoughts on his encounter with Tendulkar prior to the Australia match.
“Even for me, whenever I perform a little bit and a tweet comes from him, that gives me so much energy. It makes a huge difference, as it did against Australia for us as a batting unit scoring 291 against them. What was also special was he had one-on-one chats with some of our players, including Ibrahim Zadran, who scored a hundred against Australia, the next day.”
“I asked Ibrahim after that game what he spoke to Sachin sir about. He said, “When he [Tendulkar] spoke to me, that just totally changed my mind – the way he was speaking about me, about my game, how I’m playing. And he told me his old stories. That gave me so much energy and made my mind positive about the game tomorrow.”
Rashid Khan
Buoyed by his encounter with Tendulkar, Ibrahim hammered the Australian attack the next day with a magnificent 129* off 143 balls.
Rashid Khan too had a remarkable game, although losing, scoring 35 off 18 balls and earning 2/44 in 10 overs.
