Dubai, 27 February 2025: Four players from the DP World ILT20 Season 3 - Gulbadin Naib, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ibrahim Zadran, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz are part of Afghanistan’s squad at the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy, highlighting the league’s role in providing valuable exposure and experience at the highest level.

As Afghanistan continues its remarkable rise in global cricket, most recently impressing the world with a thrilling eight-run victory against England to knock them out of contention, ace all-rounder Gulbadin Naib, who played for DP World ILT20 season 3 champions Dubai Capitals, had spoken of the factors that has contributed to Afghanistan’s impressive rise in world cricket.

“This (DP World ILT20) is a huge platform for Afghan players. When you look at players like Ibrahim Zadran, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, they’ve played in leagues like this and brought in new ideas that weren’t part of our team before. We changed so much in the dressing room, whether it was the atmosphere, our approach, or fitness. The DP World ILT20 is that kind of platform for us. We have at least eight-ten Afghanistan players playing in top leagues of the world and that has hugely benefited us,” Naib had expressed following his exploits during the DP ILT20 Season 3.

Naib played a crucial role in the Capitals' historic campaign, scoring 381 runs and taking 11 wickets. He spoke highly of the calibre of players in the league and its value in preparing for the Champions Trophy, using his experience of sharing a dressing room with Australian great David Warner as an example, he said, "I've really enjoyed sharing the dressing room with big players like David Warner. He has over 13,000 runs and eight T20 centuries. Whether you’re on the pitch, the team bus, or at the crease with them, there’s so much to learn.”

With the third season of the DP World ILT20 concluding only days before the ICC Champions Trophy commenced, Naib added that the momentum he gained and form he was in would be carried further into the prestigious ICC event being held in Pakistan and Dubai. He added, “The DP World ILT20 was also a great platform for me to prepare for the Champions Trophy.”

Afghanistan’s rise in world cricket over the past decade has been nothing short of a fairytale. Naib attributed much of this success to the unwavering support of their fans and the nation’s passion for the sport.

“The biggest positive for us has been the fans and their support. Cricket is a passion at home, and both the fans and the government back us immensely. Even when we lose, they encourage us and send so many positive messages. When we weren’t playing against big teams, they always pushed us to improve. That’s been our biggest motivation,” said Naib.

Should Afghanistan progress to the semi-finals, they could potentially take the field against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, familiar territory for several Afghan cricketers, including Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

Reflecting on the joy of representing his country and his connection to Dubai, Gurbaz, who featured for DP World ILT20 Season 3, runners-up, Desert Vipers said, “Dubai feels like home to me, and I always enjoy playing here. Looking forward to playing more cricket here. It always feels amazing to be an international player and represent my country. I’ve played for all three seasons of the DP World ILT20, and familiar with the conditions here.”

Notably, Fazalhaq Farooqi was also amongst the top performers at the DP World ILT20. He claimed the White Belt (best bowler), taking 21 wickets in 11 matches. His tally was strengthened by a record-breaking performance in the DP World ILT20, where he registered the league’s best-ever bowling figures with five wickets for 16 runs against Dubai Capitals in the season opener.