Naveen-ul-Haq opens up on Gautam Gambhir’s advice during shoulder injury recovery

Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq revealed that a conversation with India head coach Gautam Gambhir helped him cope with a major injury setback. Naveen suffered a recurrence of a right shoulder injury just 20 minutes before a T20I against India in September. Following the third T20I, Gambhir, who previously coached Naveen at Lucknow Super Giants, spent 20 to 25 minutes speaking with the bowler to help shift his perspective.

Naveen had been sidelined since December 2025 and underwent labrum repair surgery following an initial bone issue. He stated he is focusing entirely on his rehabilitation and strength work rather than setting a fixed date for his return, emphasizing that he will only play competitive cricket again once he has full assurance in his physical fitness.