Two of emerging cricketing nation Afghanistan's leading talents are making their presence felt in the BBl, winning man-of-the-match honours on successive nights.
Mohammed Nabi's 52 off 30 balls and a tidy 1-27 spell of off spin from the 33-year-old allrounder helped Melbourne Renegades to a six-wicket win over cross-town rivals the Stars at the MCG on Saturday night.
Just 24 hours later it was the turn of 19-year-old leg-spinner Rashid Khan, whose dashing 16 off six balls and 2-21 helped propel Adelaide Strikers to a 25-run win over Sydney Thunder at Spotless Stadium.
Khan has picked up two wickets in each of his first five BBL games and has quickly become one of the most exciting and successful of the crop of new imports.
To call him a smiling assassin sounds like a worn-out cliche, but it's the perfect description of a young man who loves to have fun out in the middle while showing a strong competitive streak.
His confident and animated nature on the field makes for compelling viewing and he's not afraid to swap words with far more experienced opponents, including Thunder captain Shane Watson.
Khan's rise is no surprise to Watson as they both played in the Indian and Caribbean Premier Leagues, where the Afghani finished among the top half dozen wicket takers in both competitions.
"He's a world-class leg-spinner and a very exciting talent," Watson said.
Khan's heroics have helped lift Adelaide to the top of the ladder, though they only lead on net run rate from the Renegades, Heat and Scorchers.
He said a lot of people back home were monitoring his progress and he was getting plenty of messages of support..
Khan will be keen to show his wares in the longest and oldest form of the game when Afghanistan plays their first Test against India, expected to be played later this year.
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