Izharulhaq Naveed, an uncapped Afghanistan leg-spinner, has joined Royal Challengers Bangalore as a net bowler for the IPL 2022. Izharulhaq confirmed the news by posting a photo of himself wearing the RCB shirt on Instagram. Notably, Izharulhaq, 18, was a member of Afghanistan’s Under-19 World Cup squad earlier this year.
Golden Opportunity For Naveed
For Izharulhaq Naveed , this is a chance to further advance his career. He has a fantastic opportunity to play among legends like Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glen Maxwell. Furthermore, a strong performance in the nets could earn him a lucrative IPL contract for the upcoming season. Naveed could follow in the footsteps of many of his seniors including Rashid Khan, Mujeeb-ur- Rahman, and Mohammed Nabi.
Izharulhaq Naveed demonstrated an impressive bowling performance over the course of 22 innings. Bowling over 100 overs, he took 26 wickets, bowled 8 maiden overs and conceded 645 runs. With three 3-wicket innings, his best figure to date is 4 wickets for 9 runs. His average economy stands at 5.81.
Major Revamp For RCB
Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bangalore will take a new gear this season. During last month’s major auction, the Bangalore franchise underwent a massive makeover. Along with Du Plessis, the side enlisted the help of Dinesh Karthik, Josh Hazlewood, and Wanindu Hasaranga in the bidding event.
Virat Kohli stood down from the position at the end of the previous season. This season, Faf du Plessis, the former South African captain, will take over as captain. The 37-year-old undoubtedly has a tough job on his hands, as the IPL title remains elusive for RCB. Despite qualifying for the final three times, the Bangalore-based squad did not experience victory yet. Nonetheless, they would be adamant about ending the drought this season.
RCB At The Auction
The IPL 2022 mega auction was crucial for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Despite making mistakes in the first part of the event, they made a substantial recovery in the second half. They were able to acquire Faf du Plessis and Wanindu Hasaranga. This time, it appears that RCB has a well-thought-out strategy.
The players are doing their best to put up a strong performance as a team. The nicest part about their team this time is that Virat Kohli will be able to play freely as a batsman. Furthermore, Shrefane Rutherford and Finn Allen are great investments. Coming to bowling, Harshal Patel and Siraj will be at the front of the pack.
Endnote
The IPL 2022 will feature ten teams, including two new additions: the Lucknow Super Giants and the Gujarat Titans. As a result, for the first time since the 2011 season, ten teams will compete in the gala tournament. The competition will begin on March 26 at the Wankhede Stadium. In the first match, the Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders will square off.