AFG vs UGA: “Kind of a dream for every player that he came” - Rashid Khan on Sachin Tendulkar meeting Afghanistan stars during WC 2023

Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan talked about batting great Sachin Tendulkar meeting his team during the ICC World Cup 2023 in India. He stated that it was a dream for every player in his team that the former India skipper spent time with his side for the full session.

Sachin Tendulkar made a surprise visit to the Afghanistan Cricket team during the ICC World Cup 2023. The batting great joined the training session of the team ahead of their game against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on 6th November.

Sachin Tendulkar had an extended session with the Afghanistan team players and also was seen having one-on-one interactions with several players as well. He was also seen passing on the inputs related to the game and had a pep talk with the entire squad before the game.

The session by Sachin Tendulkar seemed to have worked pretty well for the Afghanistan team as they were on the verge of defeating Australia before Glenn Maxwell slammed a magnificent double-century to take his team home from the jaws of defeat. The Afghan side had taken control of the game but with the way Maxwell played, he was hard to stop.

Rashid Khan talked about meeting Sachin Tendulkar and stated that the entire team learned a lot from the experience. He revealed that batting great acknowledged the skills of the team and backed them to beat big teams. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, he explained:

"That was kind of a dream for every player that he [Tendulkar] came in and gave us that time. He didn't only come for about five or ten minutes. He was there for the whole session and that was the beauty. And we have learned a lot from that experience.

“But what was more important for me was that he told us he admired the skills of everyone and what we had achieved, that you guys are capable of beating any side - like we did, beating England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the World Cup."

The advice he gave and the ideas he shared about the wicket helped not just the youngsters, but everyone - Rashid Khan on Sachin Tendulkar

Rashid Khan further revealed that advice from Sachin Tendulkar helped not only the youngsters but even the seniors in the team. He added how the batting great individually talked to bowlers as well as batters. Speaking about the same, he added:

"The advice he gave and the ideas he shared about the wicket helped not just the youngsters, but everyone. The knowledge he gave about Wankhede really helped: as a bowling unit, he said, go harder in the first five to six overs because you can take advantage of the conditions that are favourable for bowlers.

“For the batters, he said, take it easy in the initial five to six overs. He said it was fine to take time because once the top order was settled, we can accelerate score big runs,” he concluded.