A lot has been talked about the Afghanistan cricket team’s magical performance in the recent ODI World Cup which was held in India. The bowling lineup led by Rashid Khan and co was always expected to get the job done but what stood out for the Hasmatullah Shahidi-led side was the outstanding show from their batters. Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan revealed the man’s name behind their success in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Months before the World Cup and Asia Cup, the Afghanistan cricket board roped in Milap Mewada as their batting coach which worked wonders for their team.
Irfan Pathan along with his brother Yusuf Pathan attended the second edition of the show ‘ZEE Real Heroes’ in which he revealed his relationship with the Afghanistan batting coach Milap Mewada and the cricket team of the other nation. Irfan shares a good friendship with star bowler Rashid Khan who plays for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL and is a former Sunrisers Hyderabad player as well. (WATCH: Smriti Mandhana’s Stylish Boundary Seals IND-W’s Test Win Over AUS-W As Celebrations Begin In India Women’s Camp)
Irfan was asked about the famous dance performance he did with Rashid Khan and his team when they defeated Pakistan in the World Cup to which he replied, “Performing in front of neighbours (Pakistan) whether with bat and ball or dance is always a pleasure.”
“Rashid is a good friend and six months before the World Cup he asked me if I know a good batting coach for Afghanistan team. So when former Under-19 India player Mewada joined them, he made good efforts to improve them and the result is in front of you. Mewada is a former Baroda player and he played the Under-19 World Cup in which he scored a century in front of Brett Lee and all. So that connection is there and it made me very happy that they defeated Pakistan.”
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Zee News (@ZeeNews) December 24, 2023
All About Milap Mewada
Mewada is an experienced coach in the domestic circuit who has coached many state teams, including Hyderabad, Jammu and Kashmir. This season, he was also vying to be the head coach of Baroda, but Mukund Parmar was appointed by the Baroda Cricket Association to the position after Amol Muzumdar, the team’s initial pick, withdrew from consideration. (IPL 2024: CSK CEO Gives Update On MS Dhoni’s Knee Injury)
Between 1996 and 2005, the 48-year-old Mewada represented Baroda in 11 first-class and 26 List-A matches. He thereafter worked as a full-time coach with a number of young cricket players. Under his direction, Jammu and Kashmir advanced to the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals in the 2019–20 season, and he was instrumental in getting Abdul Samad approved by VVS Laxman for a spot in the Sunrisers Hyderabad Indian Premier League squad.
