The 35-year-old Pakistan left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir believes that the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the top T20 league in the world cricket and the Pakistan players are missing it like him.
Sohail Tanvir was one of the few Pakistan cricketers who experienced the IPL as they played in the inaugural edition (2008). However, since 2009, the Pakistan players have not been allowed for the IPL due to mainly political issues between the two countries.
Sohail Tanvir not only played in IPL 2008, but he was also one of the top cricketers in that tournament. He served for Rajasthan Royals and played a major role for his team to win that tournament. Tanvir finished as the most wicket-taker in that tournament and became the first bowler to secure the Purple Cap in an IPL season. In that tournament, the left-arm pacer took 22 wickets in 11 matches (economy rate 6.46; average 12.09).
Recently, Sohail Tanvir has admitted that the IPL is the top T20 league in the world. While the big cricketers always want to participate in this tournament, Tanvir claimed that Pakistan players also regretted to miss this tournament. Tanvir also regrets on this missing chapter.
He told Gsports on the GTV News channel, “Yes as a professional cricketer there is regret that myself and other Pakistani players can’t appear in the IPL. It is realistically the top T20 league in the world. Which player would not like to play in it.”
Before the IPL 2019, Sohail Tanvir was holding the record of best bowling figures in an IPL innings. Playing for Rajasthan Royals, he once managed the bowling figures of 4-0-14-6 against Chennai Super Kings at Jaipur on 4th May 2008. This record is now in the second place as Alzarri Joseph is on top of this list (3.4-1-12-6 for Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad).
I have not given up hope of getting a recall to the Pakistan squad – Sohail Tanvir
In the National T20 Cup 2019/20, while Northern won their first trophy, their left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir finished as the leading wicket-taker. He took 14 wickets in seven matches of this tournament that ran in October 2019. Also, in the last PSL (2019), he finished as the fifth most wicket-taker (15 wickets in 12 matches) and played a crucial role for his team Quetta Gladiators to win that trophy.
In PSL 2020, Tanvir will serve for Multan Sultans, and he is preparing for this tournament. As the senior players like Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik are still getting support from the selectors, Tanvir hasn’t given up his hope to return to the national squad. He wants to play the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup this year.
He added, “I have not given up hope of getting a recall to the Pakistan squad for the Asia Cup and World T20 this year. Then we also have another World T20 next year in India. The fact that the selectors have recalled Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik for the series against Bangladesh has given me lot of hope. It means seniors are still in contention.”
Sohail Tanvir last time played for Pakistan in April 2017 (against West Indies in Port of Spain T20I on 1st April 2017).