MATCH STORY
Follow UsOn his return to Chitwan Rhinos’ playing XI, 18-year-old Hassan Eisakhail showed his prowess at the top of the order with a blistering 52-ball 65 against Sudurpaschim Royals on December 8 in Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2024.
The Rhinos had trusted Luc Benkenstein as their opener in their previous clash against Karnali Yaks, but the Englishman failed to get off the mark. So, it was a natural decision for them to get back Eisakhail, who has grown up playing cricket on slightly slower conditions and has more power-hitting capability.
While he started slow, taking his time against the bowlers, with eight off 12 deliveries, he took on Dipendra Singh Airee, Naren Saud, and Saif Zaib during the middle overs, which accelerated the Rhinos' run-scoring.
When Saud was introduced into the attack, the 18-year-old took on the left-arm spinner, hitting him towards the mid-wicket region and clearing the fence with relative ease. Even Airee’s golden arm wasn’t yielding success for the Royals, as Eisakhail kept muscling the ball across the park.
The 18-year-old’s knock was reminiscent of his dad, Mohammad Nabi, who also uses his front leg trigger to clear the boundaries. It was no surprise, considering that he worked alongside his dad, Nabi, in the blistering heat of Dubai.
"We practice together in Dubai. He has advised me to stay positive and show intent, and results will follow," he had said.
It took him 41 deliveries to get to his half-century, the first for a Rhinos opener, in what was a very crucial encounter for them. As it turned out, Eisakhail combined both brain and brawn to his advantage in Kirtipur to find boundaries with relative ease.
For someone who wasn’t allowed to play a lot of cricket growing up, Eisakhail isn’t just growing up fine but is muscling his way towards the bigger stage.
You can make your fantasy team for all Chitwan Rhinos matches and also for other matches in the NPL 2024 right here on Cricket.com. Download the app now.
