Afghanistan's wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad has always been open about his liking towards former India captain MS Dhoni. Shahzad, an explosive batsman, is a big fan of Dhoni and he has worked on his batting to be more like him.

In a chat with CricketNext, Shahzad talked about learning the famous helicopter shot which is seen as a trademark hit of Dhoni. He had played it against India for the first time and Dhoni advised him to practice more to master it.

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“Yes I have moulded my game a lot on MS Dhoni, I am a big fan of him. I saw him play the helicopter shot once and I practiced it a lot before first playing it against India only in a T20I.

“He (Dhoni) even spoke to me after that game about practicing it a lot because it is a very difficult shot but I believe it is the best shot to play if you want to hit a yorker-length delivery for a six.”

The 34-year-old wants to be a part of the Indian Premier League (IPL), a tournament that has already featured quality players from Afghanistan.

“I would love to play in the IPL! As a cricketer I am keen to play in leagues all around the world. Now it only depends on whether franchises want me,” he said. 

(With CricketNext Inputs)