In the eighth game of the Indian Premier League in 2018. Royal Challengers Bangalore are in their fifth over of the run-chase against Kings XI Punjab. The target is not a scary one, especially since RCB have one of the most formidable top-orders in the tournament. Quinton de Kock is on 10. His partner, Virat Kohli – arguably the world’s best batsman – is 21 off 13. RCB need 124 runs from 16 overs with nine wickets in hand: the sort of target that they should be able to achieve in their sleep.
The 17-year-old from the Khost province in Afghanistan, the mystery bowler Mujeeb Zadran, is about to start his second over. This is just his second game of the IPL and the crowd is egging the RCB batsmen on, wishing they would shred Mujeeb’s spin to bits. If De Kock or Kohli were to step down the ground and tonk him out of the stadium, the audience would erupt in a frenzy. The commentators would suggest that Mujeeb is feeling the heat. His captain would think twice before prolonging his spell.
The first four balls yield a solitary run. Mujeeb mixes up the pace and changes his angle. Kohli tries to get him through the infield but is unable to put away the skiddy, low-flying darts. On air, Harsha Bhogle mentions that Mujeeb is the first international men’s cricketer born in the 21st century. The Afghan has plenty of variation and mystery, but he wants to see him bowl the traditional off-break from time to time.