Shahnawaz Dahani is the latest entrant in Pakistan's pace-bowling factory. Dahani, who made his debut last year, has become a household name, courtesy of his splendid record in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). In his maiden season, the fast-bowler was the highest wicket-taker with 20 scalps and followed it up with 16 wickets in the ongoing PSL edition.
Dahani's meteoric rise in the domestic competition earned him a spot in Pakistan's squad as one of the reserves for the T20 World Cup 2021. Although the 23-year-old did not get a game, his dream of meeting India legend MS Dhoni was fulfilled.
Dhoni, who was the mentor of India in the tournament, had a brief chat with the young T20 sensation. In an interview with Cricket Pakistan, Dahani revealed the details of his meeting with the veteran wicketkeeper-batter.
"It will take a lot of time for me to explain the level of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Meeting him was a dream come true and I can’t forget that moment. His words were quite beneficial as he told me about life, how to live life, respecting the elders. He told that there will be bad and good days in cricket but you have to embrace it and stay dedicated to the game you love the most," Dahani said as quoted in an interview with Cricket Pakistan.
Further, Dahani mentioned how closely he followed Shane Bond's career and currently has his eyes laid on the England speedster Jofra Archer.
"I used to follow New Zealand’s Shane Bond and wanted to become a pacer with fast speed just like him but after his retirement, I started to follow England’s Jofra Archer and my wish is to meet him soon.
Dahani heaped praises on Multan Sultans skipper Mohammad Rizwan and explained how his cool nature has contributed towards the team's success.
"Our environment in the team is just like a family. Our captain is cool and kind. We have all the freedom from him to execute our plans and a player performs when he is provided freedom and the inside fear vanishes away," he added.
Multan Sultans are already into the final of PSL 2022 and awaits the winner of the clash between Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United, scheduled today.