Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq has named India veteran as the toughest batter he has faced, ahead of the upcoming T20I series between Afghanistan and India, which begins on September 13.

Naveen-ul-Haq picks his toughest opponent

Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen has identified Rohit Sharma as the most difficult batter he has bowled to during his international career. The pacer made the revelation ahead of Afghanistan’s T20I series against India, with the two teams set to face each other in a highly anticipated white-ball contest.

Naveen and Rohit have crossed paths several times in international cricket, while their rivalry has also continued in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite the Indian batter’s reputation for dominating pace bowling, Naveen has managed to challenge him on occasions, particularly in the IPL.

Rohit’s record against the Afghanistan seamer, however, shows that he has largely had the upper hand in international cricket.

Indian legend’s record against Naveen in white-ball format

In One-Day Internationals, Rohit has scored 23 runs from just 15 deliveries bowled by Naveen. More importantly, the Indian opener has never been dismissed by the Afghanistan pacer in the format.

The numbers are even more impressive for Rohit in T20Is. He has accumulated 30 runs from 15 balls against Naveen without losing his wicket. This highlights Rohit’s ability to put pressure on the fast bowler despite facing a challenging opponent.

Naveen, known for his variations and ability to bowl effectively at different stages of an innings, has nevertheless found it difficult to get Rohit’s wicket in international cricket.

The Afghanistan pacer has had more success against Rohit in the IPL. Naveen has dismissed the Indian batter once in the franchise tournament, although Rohit has still managed to score at a healthy rate against him.

Across their IPL meetings, Rohit has scored 19 runs from 10 deliveries against Naveen. The figures underline the competitive nature of their battles and provide an interesting contrast to their international record.

With Rohit having already established himself as one of the most successful white-ball batters of his generation, Naveen’s assessment further underlines the challenge of bowling to the former India captain.

Also READ: AFG vs IND: Full list of match officials for Afghanistan vs India T20I series

Afghanistan and India set for T20I series

The latest chapter in their rivalry will come as Afghanistan take on India in the upcoming T20I series. Naveen will be among Afghanistan’s key bowling options. While Rohit has already been retired in the shortest format, the Afghanistan pacer will be eying wickets of key Indian batters from the current setup, including the likes of captain Shreyas Iyer, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson.

Here’s the video:

𝗡𝗢 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗜𝗡 𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗟 & 𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗟𝗟! 😁

Naveen-ul-Haq takes on this unfiltered rapid-fire round, from praising Indian crowds to picking his favourite Indian food! 🫶

Watch the #AFGvIND 1st T20I, TOMORROW 6:30 PM onwards, LIVE on Sony Sports Network TV… pic.twitter.com/nfX7ueBNAA

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 12, 2026

Also READ: AFG vs IND, T20I Series – Full list of commentators and presenters for the Friendship Cup – From Sunil Gavaskar to Khushi Gupta

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