Stocks rising for in-form Afghanistan batter ahead of CWC27
Sediqullah Atal is at the top of his game following a superb century against Zimbabwe.
Pic courtesy of Afghanistan Cricket
The runs continue to arrive for in-form Afghanistan batter Sediqullah Atal, with the left-hander now looming as the key player for the side at next year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
Sediqullah has only featured 54 times at senior international level for Afghanistan, with the 25-year-old scoring his third ODI century against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi on Monday to lead the side to a comfortable 158-run victory in their tri-series that also includes Bangladesh.
It now means Sediqullah has an average of more than 100 across his last three 50-over knocks, while the hard-hitting batter also created history earlier this month when he became the first player from Afghanistan to score a century in a fourth innings of a Test match when he helped the side salvage a draw with a superb 111 against Bangladesh.
It bodes well for Sediqullah and Afghanistan ahead of next year's 50-over World Cup that will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia as the rising star of Afghanistan cricket hopes to continue his rich vein of form.
"I'm quite happy with the way I'm going these days," Sediqullah said after his Player of the Match performance against Zimbabwe.
"I'm working hard, really hard, for these kind of days, to contribute to the team and put in a much more impactful innings for my team to win against every side."
Sediqullah had only just made his international debut when the most recent 50-over world Cup was held in India back in 2023, with the top-order batter having to wait until the 2025 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy event to make his first appearance at a senior ICC event and he showed glimpses of his prowess with an impressive innings of 85 in a washed out contest against Australia in Lahore.
It hasn't been until this year that Sediqullah has become a permanent fixture in the Afghanistan lineup, with his spot in the side's top-order now locked in alongside experienced duo Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran.
Sediqullah Atal hits spectacular six and moves to half-century in style | AFG v AUS | Champions Trophy 2025
Sediqullah Atal hits spectacular six and moves to half-century in style | AFG v AUS | Champions Trophy 2025
It was Zadran that played a part in guiding Sediqullah to his century against Zimbabwe on Monday, with the duo combining for a partnership of 140 early in the match to help the side post their match-winning total.
"He's quite a good player to play with at the crease," Sediqullah said of his partnership with Zadran.
"We have very good communication with each other and we know each other very well.
"He's always telling me, 'Trust yourself and you can do it'.
"If we have some dot balls and a good spell from the opposition team, he tells me, and I also tell him to get the basics right and just focus on one ball at a time."