Afghanistan’s Sediqullah Atal has been given a call-up for the Bangladesh ODIs beginning next month - who is the 23-year-old?
Atal has been in excellent form in the ongoing ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup, making 83, 95* and 52 at the top of the order for Afghanistan A. At the time of writing, he is the only batter to make more than 200 runs in the tournament. Among players with at least 100 runs, he is also the only one to strike at more than 160 (161.97).
His excellent form has prompted the senior team to recall him to the ODI side after nearly three years, following his first outing against Pakistan in July 2021. He has, however, made his T20I debut in the intervening years, making 72 runs in six games at an average of 12 and a strike rate of 83.72.
Who is Sediqullah Atal?
The left-hander made his professional debut in 2020, a few months after he was picked to play for Afghanistan in the under-19 World Cup. In two games he made 19 and 40, the latter helping his team chase down South Africa’s 155.
Atal had not played any List A or first-class games when he was called up in the ODI squad for the series against Pakistan. The Kabul Eagles’ batter had played only seven T20s before he was picked, making 114 runs at an average of 16.28 and a strike rate of 107.54.
He did not play a game then and had to wait almost two more years before getting picked again for Pakistan following an impressive run in domestic cricket. He made his debut in the third T20I against Pakistan in March 2023 but only made 11 off 19.
That year, Atal made headlines by smashing 48 runs in an over during the Kabul Premier League, hitting as many as seven sixes. He was unbeaten on 118 in 56 balls with seven fours and ten sixes at the end of the innings. He also made a hundred in the final of the tournament, his 103 runs coming in 42 deliveries.
Atal was picked as a travelling reserve in Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup squad earlier this year.
Overall, he has played 41 T20s, making 1,263 runs at a strike rate of 131.42. He has also turned out in 22 List A games, averaging 29.18, and 13 first-class matches where he has made 652 runs.
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