NEW DELHI: Afghanistan player Mujeeb Ur Rahman is the latest spin sensation in the world of cricket. After compatriot Rashid Khan, Mujeeb has troubled the batsmen across the globe. In 15 ODIs he has played for his country, he has picked 35 wickets at an average of 16.62. It was because of his exploits in international cricket that he was picked by IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab, for a hefty fees of Rs 4 cr. During Punjab’s campaign opener in IPL 2018, Mujeeb became the youngest player ever to play in the tournament. The right-arm off-spinner made his debut at 17 yr and 11 days, while India’s Sarfaraz Khan made his debut at 17 yr and 177 days, in 2015. This is not the only record that Mujeeb holds. He was the first player born in 21st century to play in ODIs. In his debut match against Ireland, he picked four wickets. As far as Punjab’s team for this season is concerned, it boasts of having some of the most destructive batsmen, be it Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch or Yuvraj Singh. Batting, in the presence of these dashers, certainly looks a strong point for them. Also they seem to possess a good pool of bowlers who can control the run-flow against quality opposition. Axar Patel, who was retained by the team, has an economy of 7.42 in the tournament. If that’s not good enough, skipper R Ashwin has an economy of 6.55. These two could be well supported by Australian pacer Andrew Tye, who could be a good wicket-taking option, and the one who doesn’t leak too many runs. Published in Daily Times, April 9th 2018.