After the historic win of the UAE over New Zealand, Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin praises them
Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin of the Indian Cricket Team praised the United Arab Emirates after they registered a historic victory over New Zealand in the second T20I encounter on Saturday. He pointed out how franchise cricket has slowly been decreasing the gulf between top sides and associate nations before mentioning Rashid Khan and Afghanistan's meteoric rise on the global stage.
Ashwin wrote on X, "UAE beating New Zealand is a big achievement, and it's also showing us what franchisee cricket has succeeded in doing. There is hope for the next generation of cricketers coming from countries that aren't mainstream test nations, and that's good news for the game. When @rashidkhan_19 broke into the IPL, Afghans weren't a feared cricketing nation at world cups, but now no one can deny that fact. The future may well see other nations having representation at the IPL and turning the fortunes of the game in their respective countries. Well done, UAE."
The captain of the United Arab Emirates, Muhammad Waseem, made 55 to set up a seven-wicket win over New Zealand on Saturday in Dubai as the hosts leveled the three-match T20 series.