Sikandar Raza: The IPL is the world’s largest Twenty20 cricket league, with professionals from all over the world competing to win the title. The competition is organized in the form of a city-based franchise.
In the inaugural season, eight teams from various Indian cities fought against one another. Pakistani players competed in the 2008 IPL. Meanwhile, no Pakistan squad member has signed an IPL contract since the 2009 season.
There have been notable exceptions, like Azhar Mahmood, who entered the league due to his British passport. However, it is uncommon to see a Pakistani cricketer in the IPL nowadays.
The regulations do not permit Pakistan cricket team players to participate in the IPL, but if the cricketer is raised in Pakistan, transfers to another country. And plays international cricket for another country, and he can compete in the Indian T20 League.
In the previous three years, two such Pakistan-born sportsmen have received contracts with organizations by relocating to another country. The following are the two names:
#1 Sikandar Raza
Sikandar Raza was raised in the Pakistani city of Sialkot. He will take his IPL debut next season after the Punjab Kings awarded him his first IPL deal at the recently completed player bidding.
Punjab Kings paid 50 lahks for Zimbabwe’s all-rounder. Raza appears to be the scorer and off-spin bowling all-rounder for the Punjab Kings in the IPL 2023.
In terms of T20 cricket, Raza has appeared in 158 games, accumulating 3,109 runs with a strike rate of 129.81. He has 19 T20 fifties to his name.
Raza has 79 wickets at an average rating of 7.34 in his bowling career. His greatest bowling average is 4/8.
Raza has formerly played in the Caribbean Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Mzansi Super League, and Bangladesh Premier League. It will be fascinating to see what he does in his maiden IPL season.
#2 Ali Khan:
Muhammad Ahsan Ali Khan was raised in the Pakistani town of Attock, Punjab. He is a right-handed fast bowler representing the United States of America. Khan, like Raza, rose to prominence in the game’s smaller formats.
He was contracted as a substitute by the Kolkata Knight Riders for the IPL 2020, however, he did not appear in any games.
The bowler rose to prominence at the 2018 Global T20 Canada, when he was seen by famous West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who signed him to the CPL. That season, he was a member of the CPL All-Star squad.
Khan was a member of the Trinbago Knight Riders side that went undefeated on their route to winning the CPL title on Thursday. He took eight wickets in as many games, at an average rating of 7.43.
