The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been making waves since its inception in the realm of T20 cricket. It has emerged as the most successful and cash-rich league over the years featuring a wide pool of local and international talent.
In 16 years of excellence, the league has witnessed some top-notch names emerging from various countries. Some names have made tides emerging from arch-rival nation, Pakistan, though Pakistan internationals are barred from participating in the IPL in the present scenario. In this blog, we will discuss Pakistan-origin players who have been part of the IPL in earlier seasons or are still representing their respective franchises.
Here are seven Pakistan-origin players who have marked their appearances in IPL.
1. Imran Tahir
Lahore-born Imran Tahir has represented more than 25 teams during his cricketing stint. The leg-spinner travelled to South Africa for the love of a woman and got his name carved as one of the best limited-overs spinners. While gracefully donning South Africa’s national cricket team’s jersey, Tahir made his IPL debut in 2014.
Since his debut season, he has been regularly part of the seasons except for the 2019. Over the years, he has represented Delhi Daredevils, Rising Pune Supergiants, and most of all, Chennai Super Kings. He has 82 wickets under his belt from 59 matches.
2. Moeen Ali
Although born in Birmingham, Moeen Ali has his roots in Pakistan. The English all-rounder has been a vital part of the world’s famous T20 league since 2018. He was first auctioned by the Royal Challengers Bangalore and featured in five matches in his first season.
The Red Army retained him for the next two seasons, nevertheless, he has been a pivotal cog for the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings since 2021. Overall, Moeen enjoys 1034 runs and 33 wickets from 59 IPL appearances.
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3. Sikandar Raza
Zimbabwean all-rounder originating from Pakistan’s vibrant city Sialkot donned the Punjab Kings’ jersey during his IPL debut season in 2023. Having played only six innings, the player bagged three wickets and contributed 139 runs at an average of 27.80. Notably, he was retained by the franchise for the 2024 season ahead of the player draft.
4. Adil Rashid
Adil Rashid, who was born in West Yorkshire, is of Pakistani descent. Just like his English counterpart Moin, Adil belongs to the Mirpuri community. The leg-break bowler making his international debut for England in 2009, got to play in IPL in 2021 for the first time.
Representing Kings XI Punjab in his debut season, Adil featured only in a single match where he remained wicket-less. Ahead of the 2023 season, the spin sensation was auctioned by Sun Risers Hyderabad. Once again, he had a brief stint lasting two matches.
5. Usman Khawaja
Usman Khawaja is the first Australian of Pakistan origin to represent Australia’s national cricket team. Ahead of the IPL 2016 auction, the batter was auctioned by Rising Pune Supergiant. However, he did not enjoy a decent season as expected. Representing the franchise in six games, he totalled 126 runs averaging 21.17 with a high score of 30 versus Punjab Kings.
6. Azhar Mahmood
The Rawalpindi-born bowling all-rounder was first bought to play in IPL by Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2012. He bagged 14 wickets from 11 innings in his debut season and was retained by the franchise ahead of the next season.
The IPL 2015 season turned out to be his last donning the Kolkata Knight Riders jersey, though he played just one match. Overall, Azhar has 29 wickets from 23 IPL appearances averaging 24.14.
7. Owais Shah
The Karachi-born batting sensation had enjoyed a great time in the cash-rich league for the 2010-13 seasons. Although he was bought by the Delhi Daredevils for a whopping amount of $275,000 for the third edition, he was traded to Kolkata Knight Riders in exchange for Moises Henriques.
The right-handed batter represented Kochi Tuskers Kerala in the fourth season and was signed by the Rajasthan Royals for the two subsequent seasons. During this short stint, Owais amassed 506 runs from 26 appearances at an average of 33.73
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