Afghanistan’s seasoned all-rounder Gulbadin Naib opened up in an exclusive chat with CricTracker, sharing insights on his journey, aspirations, and memorable moments. Naib, who has featured in major franchise leagues such as the IPL, ILT20, and BPL, most recently turned out for Band-e-Amir Dragons in the 2025 Shpageeza Cricket League.
Gulbadin Naib Recalls Special IPL Debut Moment
Having played 89 ODIs and 75 T20Is for Afghanistan, Naib has amassed over 2,200 runs and taken more than 100 wickets. Reflecting on his IPL experience, he said,
“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝑰𝑷𝑳 2025 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒓.”
Though he represented the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, limited opportunities didn’t dampen his passion. In fact, he expressed a strong desire to continue with the franchise, acknowledging the support he received from the Capitals family.
He credited the IPL for significantly influencing Afghan cricket, stating that players’ exposure to high-pressure environments has helped elevate the national team’s standards.
“𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒂 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒈𝒖𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑰𝑷𝑳. 𝑰𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒕,” 𝑵𝒂𝒊𝒃 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅.
Afghanistan’s Growth, Aspirations, and Memorable Wins
Naib fondly recalled Afghanistan’s triumph over Australia in the 2024 T20 World Cup, a win that followed a narrow loss in the 2023 ODI World Cup. He shared how Rashid Khan motivated the team after their earlier defeat and how that inspiration led to their iconic win. “We didn’t sleep after that win until morning. The entire country was celebrating,” he revealed.
Discussing future ambitions, Gulbadin Naib believes Afghanistan can soon host an ICC tournament, thanks to recent domestic successes and improved infrastructure. He is also optimistic about their performance in the upcoming tri-series against Pakistan and the UAE.
When asked about a future leadership role, Gulbadin Naib humbly declined, stating his focus remains on supporting the next generation. He also named his all-time India-Afghanistan XI, which included stars like Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan (as captain), and Jasprit Bumrah.
As for beating India or Pakistan, Naib diplomatically said he’d like to beat both but holds a special fondness for playing in India due to the crowd’s support and energy.
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