[Exclusive] Being picked in the IPL is the most precious moment of my career: Gulbadin Naib | CricTracker

Afghanistan’s experienced cricketer Gulbadin Naib touched upon a variety of subjects in an exclusive interaction with CricTracker. The all-rounder revealed the IPL franchise he would want to represent in the future, the mood of the dressing room after their high-octane contests against Australia in the ODI and T20 World Cups in 2023 and 2024 and the future of cricket in Afghanistan amongst other things. He also picked an all-time India-Afghanistan combined XI.

Naib recently played for Band-e-Amir Dragons in the 2025 edition of the Shpageeza Cricket League. Naib has also played in franchise leagues all around the globe like the Indian Premier League (IPL), International League T20 (ILT20) and Bangladesh Premier League, (BPL). Speaking of his international career, he has represented in 89 ODIs and 75 T20Is, scoring 1332 and 945 runs respectively. Naib also has 74 and 33 wickets in the two formats respectively.

Australia pulled out of the ODI series against Afghanistan in March 2023 after the Taliban imposed strict restrictions on Afghan women. Later, they defeated you in the ODI World Cup, but Afghanistan defeated Australia in the T20 WC 2024. What was the dressing room environment at that time?

Australia are world champions. They have won a lot of ICC trophies, they have a lot of big cricketers and legends on their side. We always enjoy playing against a tough team. But the way Glenn Maxwell played against us in the ODI World Cup was sensational. Later, we got a second chance in the T20 WC, and we defeated them.

We already knew that we could defeat Australia. Even in the T20 World Cup 2022, we lost the match against Australia by only four runs. After that game, Rashid Khan motivated the whole team that we can defeat a team like Australia, but we have to put in more effort.

We did a lot of homework and analysis, and we defeated them in the T20 World Cup 2024. The pressure was always on Australia as they knew that Afghanistan is a team that has given them a tough time. We didn’t sleep after that win until morning. We were very happy. The news was all over the Afghan media.

How has the IPL benefited Afghanistan cricket?

Our players gained a lot of experience from the IPL. Those players shared their experiences with us in our dressing room, which helped us a great deal. It’s always a dream to play in a league like the IPL, and to play in such a league, we have been very lucky. These days, our cricket is progressing well globally, and I feel that the stage we are at is largely due to the significant impact of the IPL on Afghanistan cricket.

You played for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, but didn’t get too many chances. If you get another chance, which IPL team would you like to play for?

I would like to be a part of Delhi Capitals again. The hope I regained for my cricket came from the Capitals family. No matter how much I thank the Capitals family, it will never be enough. It’s always been a dream to play in the IPL. The day I was picked in IPL 2025 as a replacement player, it was the most precious day of my career. I am still a part of Dubai Capitals, winning the title last ILT20 season. I would like to thank the Capitals family for trusting me.

You have played alongside legends like David Warner in the ILT20. Did you receive any career-changing advice from him?

Yes, I have received a lot of advice from David Warner. In the past, I played with him in the BPL (Bangladesh Premier League) as well. I learn a lot from him whenever I chat with him. Not just him, players like Sam Billings, Axar Patel, and Ishant Sharma, I used to spend a lot of time with them. We speak a lot about the game as all these players are legends of the game, and I’ve learnt a lot from these players in the last three years.

Do you think Afghanistan can host an ICC tournament in the future?