'Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif of Afghan cricket': Ravichandran Ashwin excited by young Afghan batsmen | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Afghanistan will take on New Zealand in a one-off Test match in Greater Noida, India, starting Monday. As anticipation builds, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his excitement over two young Afghan batters — Riaz Hassan and Bahir Shah — who he feels could be crucial to Afghanistan's future. Test Cricket.
Ravichandran Ashwin praised the duo on social media platform X and compared them to former Indian cricket stars Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, who played a crucial role in India's success in cricket in the early 2000s.
Ashwin Views Riaz Hassan and Bahir Shah as key players who could help stabilise Afghanistan's batting line-up, which relies heavily on experienced players like Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah.
Score: Afghanistan vs. New Zealand
“This one-off Test will be fun. We know Afghanistan produce insane talent but what they lack in terms of solidity and stability is their batting department,” Ashwin wrote. “They have Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah who exude class but not much else and so I am excited to see what Riaz Hassan and Bahir Shah have to offer.”
Ashwin highlighted the duo's impressive domestic records and pointed out that both players had top-notch batting averages of over 55, indicating their potential to lead Afghanistan to a successful future.
“Both are promising and their first-class averages are above 55. The first signs of India's strong future came in the 2000s through @YUVSTRONG12 and @MohammadKaif when they came through the U-19s,” Ashwin said.
Riaz Hassan is 22 years old and has played five ODIs for Afghanistan, scoring 120 runs at an average of 30. Even more remarkable, however, is his first-class form, with 901 runs in 18 innings at an average of 56.31, including three centuries and three fifties.
Bahir ShahThe 24-year-old made his Test debut against Bangladesh last year but managed just seven runs in his only innings. Nevertheless, his first-class career is impressive: in 69 innings, including 10 centuries and 14 half-centuries, he scored 3,254 runs at an average of 59.16.
“These two players could give us a little taste of what Afghanistan could achieve in the next decade or so,” Ashwin added.

When Afghanistan take on New Zealand in this historic match, expectations are high for Riaz Hassan and Bahir Shah. Fans and cricket enthusiasts alike will be keen to see if these promising players can translate their domestic successes to the international stage and give Afghanistan the firepower needed for sustained success in Test cricket.