ADT10 | Twitter reacts in awe as du Plessis turns back time with a gravity-defying one-hander
Age is merely a number for certain cricketers who defy expectations and showcase extraordinary skills on the field. Faf du Plessis exemplified this in the Qualifier 2 clash against the Delhi Bulls, where he displayed his brilliance on the field by pulling off a stunner to dismiss Shadab Khan.
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International career
Shadab Khan is a well-known cricketer from Pakistan. He was born on October 4, 1998. He plays for the Pakistan national cricket team and is the captain of Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Under his leadership, Islamabad United won the PSL title in 2024 for the third time, which is a record in the tournament’s history.
Shadab is an all-rounder. He is the most successful T20I bowler for Pakistan. He is also considered one of the best fielders in the country. Since 2022, he has been one of the players with a central contract from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Shadab was also part of the Pakistan team that won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017.
2017
- April 7: Shadab Khan played his first ODI match for Pakistan against West Indies at Providence.
- April 30 - May 4: He made his Test debut against West Indies at Bridgetown.
- March 26: His first T20I match was against West Indies at Bridgetown.
- June 2017: He was part of the Pakistan team that won the ICC Champions Trophy.
- September 2017: He was named PCB’s Emerging Player of the Year.
- October 16: Shadab scored his first ODI fifty against Sri Lanka. He also took three wickets and was named man of the match.
2019
- April 2019: Shadab was named in Pakistan’s squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
- June 23, 2019: During the World Cup, he took his 50th wicket in ODIs against South Africa.
2020
- June 2020: Shadab was named in the 29-man squad for Pakistan’s tour to England.
- June 22, 2020: He tested positive for COVID-19 and had to isolate.
- July 2020: He was chosen for the 20-man squad for Test matches against England.
- August 28, 2020: Shadab took his 50th T20I wicket in a match against England.
2021
- September 2021: Shadab became vice-captain of Pakistan’s squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
2023
- March 27, 2023: Shadab took his 100th T20I wicket against Afghanistan. He became the first Pakistani male cricketer to do so.
2024
- May 2024: He was named in Pakistan’s squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
2025
- March 26, 2025: Shadab played in a T20I match against New Zealand at Wellington, scoring 28 runs in 20 balls.
- 2025: It was reported that Shadab may return to the Pakistan national team for the Champions Trophy.
Captaining:
- December 18, 2020: Shadab Khan captained Pakistan for the first time in a T20I against New Zealand during Babar Azam’s injury.
Leagues Participation
Shadab Khan has played in several top cricket leagues. In the Caribbean Premier League, he was part of the Trinbago Knight Riders in 2017 and the Guyana Amazon Warriors in 2019. In the Big Bash League, he played for Brisbane Heat in the 2017/18 season, then joined Sydney Sixers for 2021/22 and Hobart Hurricanes for 2022/23. He has been with Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League since 2017.
Caribbean Premier League
Shadab Khan played for two teams in the Caribbean Premier League: Trinbago Knight Riders in 2017 and Guyana Amazon Warriors in 2019. After his strong performance in the ICC Champions Trophy, he joined Trinbago Knight Riders in 2017. In 2019, he played for Guyana Amazon Warriors and helped the team win key matches with solid performances, including taking five wickets in a match with Chris Green.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2017
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Trinbago Knight Riders
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Signed after good performance in the ICC Champions Trophy. Scored 30 runs out of 33 in match 6.
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2019
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Guyana Amazon Warriors
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Helped the team win against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 8 wickets. Took 2/20 in four innings.
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2019
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Guyana Amazon Warriors
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Took 5 wickets with Chris Green in a match against St Lucia Zouks, helping to win by 13 runs.
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Big Bash League
Shadab Khan played for three teams in the Big Bash League: Brisbane Heat in the 2017/18 season, Sydney Sixers in 2021/22, and Hobart Hurricanes in 2022/23. In 2017, he joined Brisbane Heat for the 7th season and played 3 matches, scoring 72 runs. He also played for Sydney Sixers and Hobart Hurricanes in the following seasons.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2017/18
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Brisbane Heat
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Played 3 matches, scored 72 runs (12 per match), and 85 runs (6 in 2 games).
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2021/22
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Sydney Sixers
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Played for the team during the 2021-2022 season.
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2022/23
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Hobart Hurricanes
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Played for the team during the 2022-2023 season.
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Pakistan Super League
Shadab Khan has been part of Islamabad United since 2017. He became the youngest captain in PSL history in the 5th season. In 2019, he helped the team win an important match against Karachi Kings. In PSL 2020, Shadab scored 263 runs in 9 matches, with a high score of 77. In 2021, he took 4 wickets in 6 matches and scored 39 runs. In 2022, Shadab was named the MVP of the tournament after scoring 268 points. In 2023, he took 12 wickets and performed well. In 2024, under his leadership, Islamabad United won their third PSL title. Shadab became the first Pakistani cricketer to score 300 runs and take 10 wickets in a single season.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2017–present
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Islamabad United
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Joined Islamabad United in 2017, became the youngest captain in the 5th season.
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2019
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Islamabad United
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Led the team in an elimination match win against Karachi Kings.
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2020
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Islamabad United
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Scored 263 runs in 9 matches, average 37.57, with a highest score of 77.
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2021
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Islamabad United
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Took 4 wickets in 6 matches, scoring 39 runs with an average of 105.40.
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2022
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Islamabad United
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Named MVP of PSL 2022 with 268 points in 9 matches.
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2023
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Islamabad United
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Took 12 wickets in 11 matches, with an average of 29.91.
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2024
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Islamabad United
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Helped win PSL 2024 title, scoring 305 runs and taking 14 wickets.
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2025
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Islamabad United
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Captain of Islamabad United in PSL 2025.
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Domestic career
Shadab Khan started his domestic career in 2016. He played his first first-class match for Sri Lanka A against Pakistan A in July 2016. In April 2016, he debuted in List A cricket for Khyber against Islamabad. Shadab also played his first T20 match for Rawalpindi in the 2016–17 National T20 Cup.
His performances in domestic cricket helped him get noticed by bigger leagues. In 2017, Shadab joined the Trinbago Knight Riders for the Caribbean Premier League and the Brisbane Heat for the Big Bash League. He impressed many, especially after his strong showing in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.
Shadab became known for his skills with both the ball and the bat. His good performances led Islamabad United to pick him for the PSL. He did well in his debut PSL season, which helped him earn a place in Pakistan’s national team for limited-overs cricket.
Other Leagues
Shadab Khan has played in several global and regional leagues:
- Lanka Premier League (2024): He played for Colombo Strikers, taking 14 wickets in 6 matches. He took 4 wickets for 10 runs against Jaffna Kings and won the second player of the match award. In his first match, he took a hat-trick against Kandy Falcons, helping his team win by 51 runs.
- ILT20 Season 2 (2023): Shadab Khan played for Desert Vipers. In one match, he scored 59 runs off 30 balls, with a strike rate of 196.66.
- Major Cricket League (2023): He played for San Francisco Unicorns.
- Vitality T20 Blast (2023): Shadab Khan played for Sussex Sharks. He scored 42 runs from 15 balls and took 3 wickets for 21 runs in 4 overs against Essex. He was injured in his first match against Somerset and could not play the rest of the game.
- Bangladesh Premier League (2019/20): He played for Dhaka Platoon.
Records and achievements
Shadab Khan has achieved a lot in his cricket career. Here are his major records and awards:
- 2017: Named PCB's Emerging Player of the Year.
- 2017: Awarded Best Player of the Match in an ODI against Sri Lanka for his strong performance.
- 2019: Took his 50th ODI wicket during Pakistan’s World Cup match against South Africa on June 23.
- 2021: Appointed vice-captain of Pakistan’s team for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
- 2022: Named MVP of PSL 2022 after playing 9 matches and scoring 268 runs with a strike rate of 162.42.
- 2024: Won Man of the Series for his outstanding performance in PSL 2024. He became the first Pakistani to score 300 runs and take 10 or more wickets in a single season.
- 2016: Became the youngest captain in the history of the PSL, when appointed captain of Islamabad United in the fifth season.
Personal life
Shadab Khan keeps most of his personal life private, but some details are known.
Family
Shadab Khan was born in Mianwali, Punjab, in 1998. He married Malaika Saqlain, the daughter of former cricket coach Saqlain Mushtaq, in January 2023.
Finances
As of 2025, Shadab Khan’s fortune is about 1.5 million US dollars. He earns money from his contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), his participation in T20 leagues like the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and brand deals.
Cars and House
Shadab Khan lives in his hometown, Burmwali, in Pakistan. He has a collection of luxury cars, including Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
Scandals
In 2020, Shadab Khan faced a scandal when Ashrina Safiya, a woman from Dubai, accused him of threatening to release personal photos and videos if she revealed their relationship. Shadab did not comment on the matter.
Fans
Shadab Khan has a large fan following. In 2024, a video went viral where a fan in England criticized his performance and encouraged him to do better. In 2023, Shadab shared pictures with his fans on Twitter as the Pakistan team prepared for a match. In 2022, a fan urged him to focus on the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, and Shadab replied with a humorous tweet. He has around 2.5 million followers on Instagram.
