T20 World Cup 2024 | "T20 cricket is all about the mindset": Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan (Pic: File Pic)

Afghanistan batsmen have developed skills and confidence in chasing huge targets and the team is not over-dependent on bowlers, said Rashid Khan.

Afghanistan, who have relied on their world-class spinners more often than not, have been bolstered with the rise of the explosive Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Azmatullah Omarzai.

"That is something in the past. We were struggling a little bit in the batting area. Earlier, the bowlers would do a lot more and help us win the games", added Rashid Khan.

The Rashid Khan-led Afghanistan will begin their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against Uganda on June 4 at 6.00 AM.

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"Later on, we got those youngsters especially from Under-19 the way they came up to the national side, the way they have worked hard and got the opportunity to play for Afghanistan at a very young age, and then start exploring all around the world (while) playing the leagues, where they got better and better," he added.

Ahead of their T20 World Cup 2024 opening match, Rashid is confident about their batting lineup. "We have that kind of batting line-up where we can say, 'it's fine if there is 200 as well on the wicket'," he said.

"We have that kind of ability, skills and talent where we can express (all) that on the ground and chase. T20 cricket is all about the mindset. As long as you have the right mindset and belief in there that we can do, anything is possible."

Afghanistan had their best-ever outing at the ODI World Cup in India last year when they trumped former champions Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka while running close to eventual champions Australia.

"We're just focusing on one game at a time and making sure we do the right things and take the right decisions at the right time. That's something I think is going to help us, and (we) don't (need to) think about the next round a lot. That's something which is an extra pressure I feel like to be as a player.

With slow pitches in the West Indies, many cricket experts have picked Afghanistan to reach the semi-finals due to having the likes of world-class spinners on their side. Skipper Rashid Khan is delighted that Afghanistan are not considered minnows anymore.

"They have mentioned Afghanistan is going to be there for semis. We take that as a very positive sign. Before, it used to be hard for us to qualify. Now, to be (in the) nomination, to be there in the top four, it's big for us. But for us, we don't look to those things a lot. It's all about how we're going to be there in the ground, delivering.

"We were very near in the last World Cup as well (that we wanted) to be in the semis," he added. Several Afghans feature in the Caribbean Premier League and have an idea of how the pitches would behave but Rashid tends to look at it differently.

"We have those players who played recently here in the CPL, they (have) got that experience. We share that experience with the boys. But I think in ICC (events), you always expect something different."

"You never know what's going to be the behaviour of the wicket. You have to react to that. You shouldn't be someone (who is) already having in the mind, this is how it's going to be (or) this is how it's going to swing, spin, things like that. But for us, it's like we're well prepared."

(With PTI Inputs)