Angokushesha nje lapho igama lika-Mohammad Kaif lifika kubathandi bekhilikithi baseNdiya, inkumbulo yokuqala yalokho inkundla yeNkosi. Lapho abalandeli babenomuzwa wokuthi ngemva kokuxoshwa kukaSachin Tendulkar, iTeam India manje yalahlekelwa okokugcina kochungechunge lwe-NETWEST, kodwa ngo-2002 lolo suku lwaluyisimangaliso futhi lwenziwa ngu-Mohammad Kaif. Lesi simangaliso sikaKaif saphoqa uSourav Ganguly ukuthi akhumule ihembe kuvulandi weNkosi.
Uzalelwe ePrayagraj (ngaleso sikhathi eyayise-Allahabad), uKaif ufunde kwaze kwaba ngowe-12 eMewa Lal Ayodhya Prasad Intermediate College Soraon. Ngemva kwalokhu, wazinza emhlabeni wekhilikithi. Kusukela esemncane, ingqondo yakhe yayizinze ekhilikithi futhi wasuka ePrayagraj waya eKanpur. Lapha waqala ukuhlala ehostela laseGreen Park Stadium. Ukusuka lapha uhambo lwakhe lwafinyelela eqenjini lekhilikithi laseNdiya.
Kwenze i-India yaba ngompetha beNdebe Yomhlaba ka-Under 19 okokuqala ngqa
Ukusebenza kanzima kwekhilikithi yasekhaya kumtholele indawo eqenjini lekhilikithi lase-India labaneminyaka engaphansi kwe-19. Unikezwe isikhundla sikakaputeni eNdebeni yoMhlaba ka-Under 19 eSri Lanka ngo-2000 futhi wenza iThimba lase-India laba ngumpetha womhlaba kulesi sigaba. Ngaphansi kobuholi bakhe, i-India yanqoba iNdebe yoMhlaba yabaneminyaka engaphansi kwe-19 okokuqala ngqa. Kulo nyaka, ufakwe eqenjini le-Indian Test ohambweni lwaseNingizimu Afrika. Waba yingxenye yeqembu le-ODI eminyakeni emibili kamuva futhi wamela iTeam India eNdebeni yoMhlaba ka-2003. Ngaleso sikhathi, yena kanye no-Yuvraj Singh babevame ukuba ngumgogodla weqembu eliphakathi leqembu laseNdiya.
Ngo-2002, uDada waphoqeleka ukuthi akhumule ihembe kuvulandi weNkosi
I-innings yakhe idlale ne-England kowamanqamu we-NETWEST Trophy ka-2002 ibalwa phakathi kwama-innings akhumbuleka kakhulu ekhilikithi yase-India. U-Kaif udlale ama-runs angu-87 engahluliwe kulo mdlalo odlalwe e-Lord's ground futhi wanikeza i-India ukunqoba okuyingqophamlando. Emdlalweni wokugcina we-NatWest Trophy, u-Kaif ujahe umgomo wama-runs angu-325 no-Yuvraj Singh futhi wasiza i-India yanqoba ngokuhlanganyela ama-runs angu-121 ngewikhethi yesithupha. Ngemuva kwalokhu kunqoba, uKapteni Sourav Ganguly wagubha ngokukhumula ihembe lakhe kuvulandi weNkosi.
Ngemva kokuxoshwa kukaSachin, umndeni kaKaif waya ukuyobuka ifilimu
U-Mohammad Kaif wayetshele engxoxweni eminyakeni embalwa edlule ukuthi ngemuva kokuxoshwa kuka-Sachin Tendulkar ngo-2002, wonke umuntu wayenomuzwa wokuthi umdlalo usuphelile. Umndeni kaKaif ohlala e-Allahabad wazizwa ngendlela efanayo. Yingakho uyise naye eyobuka ifilimu yakwaDevdas nomndeni. Kodwa ngemuva kwendodana yakhe wanika izwe lokhu kunqoba.
UNasir wazama ukugqekeza ngesihlibhi
U-Mohammad Kaif utshele ukuthi ngesikhathi efika ezoshaya, uNasir Hussain washaya isihlibhi futhi wazinika isikhathi sokukuqonda. Empeleni, uNasir wabiza uKaif ngomshayeli webhasi. Ngemuva kwalokho uKaif wathi akukubi kumshayeli webhasi. U-Kaif uthe iqembu bekufanele lifinyelele inhloso enkulu yama-runs angu-326 futhi isimo sethu sasingekho kahle ngaphambi kokuza ukuzoshaya. Mina no-Yuvraj sasindawonye eqenjini lentsha futhi sobabili sasiqondana kangcono. U-Yuvi wayedlala amashothi akhe futhi ngaqala ukugijima nami. Umdlalo uqale ukuqhubekela phambili kancane.
Umsebenzi wekhilikithi ka-Mohammad Kaif
U-Kaif udlale ama-ODI angu-125 e-India, wathola ama-runs angu-2753 ngesilinganiso esingu-32.01. Amaphuzu akhe aphezulu kwaba ngu-111. Wahola amakhulu amabili kanye nengxenye yekhulu le-17 emsebenzini wakhe we-ODI. UKaif uphinde wadlala imidlalo ye-Test engu-13 yase-India. UKaif wenze isilinganiso esingu-32.84 ngefomethi ende yomdlalo, ngosizo lwakhe oseshaye ama-run angu-624 kuma-innings angu-22. UKaif unekhulunyaka elilodwa nengxenye yekhulu leminyaka emithathu kuma-Test. Amaphuzu akhe aphezulu ngu-148. UKaif uthathwa njengomunye wabadlali abahamba phambili kwikhilikithi yaseNdiya. Uphinde waba yingxenye yeqembu laseNdiya elafinyelela kowamanqamu eNdebeni yoMhlaba ngo-2003. UKaif wadlala umdlalo wakhe wokugcina wamazwe ngamazwe ohambweni lwaseNingizimu Afrika ngo-2006. Njengamanje useqenjini labaqeqeshi beDelhi Capitals ku-IPL.
