Cricket & a thousand splendid smiles: ‘Miss home celebrations, but feel warmth of home in India’

NOIDA: Ahmed Shadab of Kabul misses his family the most on two occasions — when his mother makes biryani on Eid and when his favourite bowler Rashid Khan foxes a batsman to uproot the stumps.
Thankfully, sharing his love of food and cricket, Shadab has his Indian friend Ankit by his side. Apart from the occasional Afghani burger from Lajpat Nagar, the two bond over cricket as well — except when India is playing Afghanistan.
“For me, India is a home away from home when it comes to celebrating cricket,” says the Sharda University student.
Shadab is among many Afghan students in colleges of Noida and Greater Noida who are celebrating Afghanistan’s historic eight-run win over Bangladesh, which assured them a berth in the T20 World Cup semifinal.
“This is surreal. I would have been happier if I had my family by my side. But the warmth that my Indian friends shared with me is memorable too, just like this win. They cheered with us as Afghanistan moved closer to a win,” he tells TOI.
At Gautam Buddha University, some Afghan students of international studies distributed sweets among their Indian friends in hostels.
“My country has created history today. The way Rashid Khan has led the team to ensure it is in the final four is commendable. This has given reason to so many youths to unite over cricket in a country ravaged by war and political upheaval. I can’t be more proud of my team and country,” says Surgal Khan at GBU.
MBA student Muzda Ahmedi of Sharda University believes cricket is the solution to all problems in his country.
“Cricket is a unifying force in Afghanistan. This victory is a testament to the resilience and determination of our people. It’s heartening to see how cricket can bring people from different cultures and backgrounds together,” he says.
Azizullah Dawar and his friends are planning to watch the next game on a giant screen on their university campus.
“I’ll always cherish this moment. We are planning to watch the semis on a giant screen. We will request the authorities for this,” the third-year law student says. Surgal Khan of GBU is certain Rashid Khan and his men will make it to the finals as well. “We have come this far. There is no reason why we can’t go all the way,” he smiles.
Indian students aren’t any less excited. For, the ‘men in blue’ are among the fantastic four too. “Afghanistan’s performance in the T20 World Cup has been unexpected so far. They defeated Australia too.
We will also watch the matches on a giant screen with our Afghan friends,”said Ankit of Sharda.
Afghanistan deserves every support. As a cricket-crazy country, we should be proud of them, added Ankit. Afghanistan’s cricket team has a Greater Noida connection. Before shifting their home ground to Dehradun and eventually Dubai, the team played its home matches in the NCR city.
At Sharda University, arrangements are being made for a giant screen to watch the next match. “Our students, particularly those from Afghanistan, are excited about the semis. We are arranging for a giant screen for the next few matches. It’s cricket that will enhance friendship between the two countries,” says Ajit Kumar, the director of public relations at Sharda.