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Updated August 14th, 2020 at 17:20 IST

Nasser Hussain reckons Pakistani batting sensation Babar Azam should play in IPL

Former English skipper Nasser Hussain reckons that Pakistani batting sensation and top-ranked T20I batsman Babar Azam should play in IPL

Reported by: Karthik Nair
Babar Azam
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Nasser Hussain has said that Babar Azam should play in the Indian Premier League. Babar has been the top-ranked T20I batsman from early 2018. The youngster has been compared with the Indian skipper as well as batting megastar Virat Kohli ever since he surpassed Kohli to become the fastest batsman to reach 1000 T20I runs in 2018. The elegant batsman had an outstanding World Cup 2019 where he had amassed close to 500 runs. He was named Pakistan's T20I skipper last October and was named the ODI skipper in May this year. 

The Pakistani players including the likes of Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Asif, Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, etc. had participated in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008. However, they are no longer allowed to play in the cash-rich league after the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and also due to the ongoing political tensions between both countries.

'He should be there': Nasser Hussain

“It’s the Pakistani players not being in the IPL. The IPL will start soon and Babar Azam won’t be there. He’s a phenomenal player and he should be there,” the former English skipper was quoted as saying by Geo Super.

Babar is currently in England where Pakistan are playing a bilateral series against the reigning ODI world champions. He will be leading the 2009 T20 World Cup winners in the three-match T20I series that will be succeeding the ongoing three-match Test series. 

The IPL 2020

The IPL 2020 will be played in the UAE from September 19 to November 10. Four-time winners Mumbai Indians are the defending champions

Coming back to IPL 2020, it will also be the first time that an IPL final will be played on a weekday. The tournament decider will be played on the day of Diwali. This will be the third time that the IPL will be held outside India (after 2009, and 2014 editions) and at the same time, it will also be the second occasion after 2009 where all the IPL matches will be played abroad.

The 2009 edition was entirely held in South Africa due to the General Elections. The tournament was won by the now-defunct Deccan Chargers who had edged past the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a low-scoring thriller. The first half of the 2014 edition was held in the UAE due to the General Elections while the second half of that tournament was played in India.

READ: Mumbai Indians Recall Hardik Pandya's Maiden Test Century On This Day In 2017

(Image Courtesy: AP)


 

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Published August 14th, 2020 at 17:20 IST

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