Injury and poor form made it a forgettable IPL for Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman but the time away from the field was well spent as he picked on Kings XI Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin's brain ahead of the World Cup in England.
A shoulder injury meant that the 18-year-old wasn't at his best during the league, getting only three wickets in five games with an expensive economy rate of 10.05.
"I have learnt a lot having spent quality time with Ashwin in the KXIP set-up. He has given me a lot of useful tips and I am sure that I will execute those plans in the World Cup. During this edition, my shoulder injury was an issue. But now I am fully fit for the World Cup," Mujeeb said at a promotional event to announce Amul's association with Afghanistan team.
While he hasn't played many matches this year, the best part about IPL according to Mujeeb is the opportunity to bowl at some of the World Cup opponents.
"The IPL schedule is so hectic and you are travelling a lot. It's not that you get a lot of chance to talk about the game. But since you get a chance to bowl in matches where there are batsmen who will be there in the World Cup, it helps a lot," said the Afghan teenager.
The youngster is hopeful that along with senior spinners Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi, it will be a better World Cup for Afghanistan compared to the 2015 edition when they were making debut.
"Our aim is to at least qualify for the semi-finals. All three of us have different strengths and the main thing that we discuss on-field is to stick to our respective plans. The basic plan is to consistently bowl good areas and hopefully we will be able to do that," he said.