Five Pakistan-born players who played in IPL after inaugural season

Imran Tahir and Sikandar Raza. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, India imposed a ban on Pakistan players from playing in the Indian Premier League. However, some Pakistan-born players got a chance to participate in the T20 tournament post-Mumbai attacks as being dual passport holders or relinqushing Pakistani citizenship made their entry unchallenging.

Recently, former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has hit the headlines as the star cricketer might get his British passport anytime this year, and with this development, there is news that the paceman might be seen in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. However, reacting to the news, Amir has said there is still a year left and he will take one step at a time.

In the past, some popular Pakistan-born players have participated in IPL, and noting that, it’s time to recall the performance of those players in the league.

Here are the five Pakistan-born players who played in IPL after inaugural 2008 season

5. Owais Shah

Owais Shah. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Owais Shah played international cricket for England from 2001-09. In T20 Internationals (T20Is), he played 17 matches for England, in which he scored 347 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 122.18. Shah, the Karachi-born England player, got a chance to play in IPL in 2010 when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) signed him up.

In his debut IPL season, Owais got five games and scored only 115 runs at an underwhelming strike rate of 121.05. Following his dismal batting display in 2010, KKR released Owais but the new franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala (KTK) showed faith in the England batter for the 2011 IPL edition.

However, he remained an underperformer in Kochi as well, scoring only 26 runs in two innings of three matches. In 2012, he joined Rajasthan Royals (RR), and this time, he put up a decent show with his bat, notching up 340 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 132.81. Owais featured in the cash-rich league for the last time in 2013. Donning RR’s jersey again, he scored only 25 runs in two games at a strike rate of 108.69.

4. Azhar Mahmood

Azhar Mahmood. (Photo Source: Twitter)

In 2011, former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood became a British citizen which made him eligible to participate in IPL. At the IPL 2012 auctions, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) picked him up $2,00,000 to reserve his services. Making his debut in the league, he put up a satisfactory show as an all-rounder.

As a batter, he amassed 186 runs in 10 innings of 11 matches at a strike rate of 130.98. While with the ball, he became the second-leading wicket-taker, grabbing 14 wickets at an economy of 7.71. In 2013, Mahmood again showcased his mettle with the ball, picking up 15 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 7.52.

Punjab revamped their team in 2014 and this time, Mahmood didn’t find a place in their scheme of things. At the auctions, he went unsold as no franchise showed interest in him. Mahmood again went unsold at the 2015 auctions but just a few days before the start of the tournament, KKR signed him up as a replacement for James Neesham, who got ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. During the competition, he got a chance to play only one match, in which, he looked ineffective with both bat and ball.

3. Usman Khawaja

Usman Khawaja. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Usman Khawaja, the Islamabad-born cricketer, is an integral part of Australia’s Test side. In 2016, the left-handed batter registered himself for the IPL auctions for a base price of INR 1 crore. Khawaja was fetched at his base price by Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), who were going to make their IPL debut that year.

RPS ended up their campaign in the seventh position on the points table, winning only five games out of 14 contests. During their campaign, Khawaja got a chance to feature in the playing XI for six games. However, he failed to grab the opportunities, scoring only 127 runs in six innings at a dismal strike rate of 127.00.

After warming benches for more than the first half of the season, Khawaja was picked up for the match against Delhi Capitals (Delhi Daredevils). In his debut game, he contributed 30 runs in his team’s seven-wicket win. In 2017, Khawaja was a part of RPS but didn’t get a single game throughout their spectacular campaign till the final.

2. Imran Tahir

Imran Tahir. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)

Former South Africa leg-spinner Imran Tahir was known for his excellent bowling. Before serving the Proteas in international cricket, Tahir represented the Pakistan Under-19 team. The leggie was born in Lahore, Punjab. Ahead of the 2011 World Cup, Tahir became a South African citizen which led to his selection in South Africa’s 2011 World Cup side.

In IPL, he made his debut in the 2014 edition for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). In DC’s unsuccessful campaign, Tahir picked up only nine wickets in six matches at an economy of 8.20. From 2018 to 2021, he also played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) under the leadership of MS Dhoni.

Playing four seasons for the Men in Yellow, Tahir scalped 35 wickets in 27 games at an economy of 7.11, with the best figures of 4/12 against his former franchise Delhi Capitals in the 2019 edition of the league. In 2019, Tahir also became the recipient of Purple Cap, dismissing 26 batters in 17 matches at an economy of 6.69.

1. Sikandar Raza

Sikandar Raza. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Pakistani-origin Zimbabwe player Sikandar Raza debuted in IPL 2023 for Punjab Kings (PBKS). At the 2023 IPL auction, Raza got fetched at his base price of INR 50 lakh by the 2014 IPL runners-up. In Punjab’s initial matches, he struggled to be among the runs and wickets but against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 21st contest of the competition, he showcased his power with the bat, playing a match-winning knock of 57 off 41.

For his sensational performance, he also received the Player of the Match award. Against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 41st game, he again grabbed the attention for taking PBKS home with his match-finishing 13-run innings off just seven deliveries.

In his first IPL season, the Sialkot-born PBKS player racked up 139 runs in seven matches at a fine strike rate of 141.83. With the ball, he could pick up only three wickets in six innings at an expensive economy of 9.91.