Pakistani players are not permitted to compete in the Indian Premier League after the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, according to India. After the Mumbai bombings, certain players with Pakistani ancestry did, however, get a chance to compete in the T20 event since they were dual citizens or no longer had Pakistani citizenship, which made it easier for them to enter.
Former Pakistani pacer Mohammad Amir recently made headlines since it was rumored that the famous cricketer would receive his British passport this year. With this development, it is possible that the paceman will play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2024. Amir, in response to the news, has stated that there is still a year remaining and that he will proceed step by step.
It’s time to reflect on the past performances of some well-known Pakistan-born players who have played in the IPL after taking that into consideration.
Here are the five Pakistani-born players who played in IPL after inaugural 2008 season
1. Owais Shah
Owais Shah represented England in international cricket from 2001 until 2009. He represented England in 17 T20 International (T20I) games, appearing in 15 innings and scoring 347 runs at a strike rate of 122.18. When the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) recruited Shah, an English player who was born in Karachi, he was given the opportunity to play in the IPL.
Owais played five games in his first IPL season and managed just 115 runs at a meager strike rate of 121.05. Owais was let go by KKR because of his poor 2010 batting performance; however, the new team, Kochi Tuskers Kerala (KTK), showed confidence in the English batsman for the 2011 IPL season.
He did not do well in Kochi either, scoring just 26 runs in two innings over three games. He switched teams in 2012 and joined the Rajasthan Royals (RR), where he performed admirably this time around, scoring 340 runs in 13 matches with a strike rate of 132.81. Owais made his final appearance in the lucrative league in 2013. Once more donning the RR jersey, he managed only 25 runs in two games with a strike rate of 108.69.
2. Azhar Mahmood
Azhar Mahmood, a former all-rounder for Pakistan, became a British citizen in 2011, which allowed him to play in the IPL. Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) paid $2,000,000 to secure his services at the IPL 2012 auctions. He performed admirably as an all-around player in his professional debut.
In 10 innings of 11 games as a batter, he scored 186 runs with a 130.98 strikeout-to-strikeout ratio. By taking 14 wickets at an economy rate of 7.71 while bowling, he rose to the position of second-leading wicket-taker. Mahmood once again demonstrated his skill with the bat and ball in 2013, taking 15 wickets in 11 games with an economy rate of 7.52.
Mahmood failed to fit into Punjab’s plans once their team was restructured in 2014. He was not purchased at the auctions since no franchise expressed interest in him. Mahmood failed to find a buyer at the 2015 auctions once more, but KKR acquired him just a few days before the start of the competition to replace James Neesham, who was forced to withdraw due to injury. He only had the opportunity to play in one game during the competition, and in that game he was unproductive with both the bat and the ball.
3. Usman Khawaja
Australia’s Test team is not complete without Usman Khawaja, a cricketer from Islamabad. For a starting price of INR 1 crore, the left-handed hitter enrolled for the 2016 IPL auctions. Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), which will make its IPL debut that year, acquired Khawaja for his base fee.
RPS finished their season with just five victories in their final 14 games, placing them in seventh place overall in the standings. Khawaja had six games during their campaign when he could play in the starting XI. He had opportunities, but he didn’t take advantage of them, scoring only 127 runs in six innings with a miserable strike rate of 127.0.
Khawaja was selected to play against the Delhi Capitals (Delhi Daredevils) after spending the majority of the first half of the season warming the benches. He scored 30 runs in his first game, which led to his team’s seven-wicket victory. Khawaja was a member of RPS in 2017, but he didn’t play in a single game from the start of their amazing season to the end.
4. Imran Tahir
Imran Tahir, a former South African leg-spinner, has a reputation for spinning well. Tahir represented the Pakistan Under-19 team before playing for the Proteas in international cricket. Lahore, Punjab, is where the leggie was born. Tahir became a South African citizen prior to the 2011 World Cup, which allowed for his selection in South Africa’s World Cup squad.
He debuted in the 2014 IPL season for the Delhi Daredevils (now the Delhi Capitals). Tahir took just nine wickets in six games for DC’s disappointing campaign, with an 8.20 economy rate. From 2018 to 2021, he played cricket with the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team.
During his four seasons with the Men in Yellow, Tahir took 35 wickets in 27 games at an economy rate of 7.11, with his finest performance coming in the 2019 league against his previous team, the Delhi Capitals, with statistics of 4/12. When Tahir dismissed 26 batters in 17 games with an economy of 6.69 in 2019, he was also awarded the Purple Cap.
5. Sikandar Raza
Pakistani-origin Zimbabwean player Sikandar Raza debuted in the IPL 2023 for the Punjab Kings (PBKS). The 2014 IPL runners-up were able to purchase Raza at his base price of INR 50 lakh at the 2023 IPL auction. 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 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.
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