The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) maybe glint with some of the world's most renowned T20 players, but for former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Gautam Gambhir, there is one "underrated" cricketer whose name even though may not be raved about as much, is likely to have the biggest impact on the tournament in UAE.
For Gambhir, that player is Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) off-spin recruit from Afghanistan, Mohammad Nabi. Nabi, Gambhir believes, will be a real handful on surfaces in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, and with his power-hitting abilities, also provide apt balance to Sunrisers' first-choice XI.
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The 35-year-old experienced cricketer is also in some really good form. He just recently finished his Caribbean Premier League 2020 stint where his 156 runs and 12 wickets were crucial to St Lucia Zouks' run to the final.
Speaking on Star Sports' show 'Cricket Connected', Gambhir said Nabi has gone under the radar for quite a while and it's time people give him his due praise.
"According to me, he is the most underrated player in T20 cricket. You talk about Kieron Pollard, AB de Villiers, Rashid Khan, or David Warner but if you see his contribution, he is a brilliant fielder, gives you four overs with the ball, bowls in the first 6 overs, bats at No.5 or No.6, and can play the big shots," he said.
“We talk about Andre Russell as a quality all-rounder but Mohammad Nabi probably may not be in that category but he is not that far behind. Because he comes from Afghanistan, who do not play that much cricket, so people do not rate him that much," Gambhir added.
With time, Nabi has improved his range as a batsman. Couple that with his excellence as a defensive bowling option, who boasts of outstanding variations in speed and trajectory, and Sunrisers have a dangerous package up their sleeves.
“He is also in a franchise where you play David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Rashid Khan, and Kane Williamson, so he does not get that many opportunities."
"If Mohammad Nabi was in some other franchise, he would have played all the 14 matches in the IPL. And if you play him in all the 14 matches of the IPL, you will come to know his impact," Gambhir added.
