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“And that has made the sweetest sound ever. You gotta love it, you gotta absolutely love it.”
These words of Ramiz Raja describing Hazratullah Zazai’s batting are how most people who have seen him bat feel. Even the opposing team fans cannot deny his brilliance. But the question is: Who is Hazratullah Zazai? Who is the new favorite power hitter of everyone? Who is the opener on whom you can rely even when you have a hefty target to chase?
He is a cricketer from the land of Afghanistan who made his debut in the year 2016. His recent PSL performances are not the only ones who have left the world stunned. The 162 runs off 62 balls are remembered to date by many fans as he named the record of the highest individual score by an Afghanistan player to himself.
Career overview:
| ODI | T20I | First Class | List A | |
| Matches | 11 | 6 | 17 | 17 |
| Runs | 247 | 378 | 1246 | 409 |
| Average | 22.45 | 75.60 | 38.93 | 25.56 |
| 50s / 100s | 1/0 | 2/1 | 8/3 | 1/1 |
League cricket:
Zazai represented the Kabul Zwanan in the Afghanistan premier league. To say he proved to be the best power hitters there would not be an understatement. Hitting six sixes in one over is not an ordinary thing, and he has done it. He equaled the record of fastest fifty and ended the tournament with being the leading run-scorer in that season.
Moreover, Hazratullah Zazai has the honor of being mentioned in the squad of Dhaka Dynamites and chosen to showcase his talent for the Rajshahi Royals in the following season of the Bangladesh Premier League. The first-ever season of the Lanka Premier League saw Zazai being drafted for Galle Gladiators.
The Beginning of Hazratullah Zazai’s Amazing PSL Race:
The picture doesn’t end here; in fact, it has just started. Season 6 of the Pakistan Super League was postponed, but the second leg witnessed the left-handed batsman’s glory.
Match 24: Peshawar Zalmi vs. Karachi Kings
Peshawar Zalmi came face to face with Karachi Kings in a group match; the boys in blue were all out on a mere 109. The power hitter opened for the yellow storm, and his batting was no less than a storm itself. The whopping strike rate of 242 and 63 runs off 26 balls speak for themselves, not to forget the four sixes and eight boundaries.
Eliminator 1: Peshawar Zalmi vs. Karachi Kings
Unfortunately, he failed against Islamabad United in the next match but came more robust against Karachi Kings once again. It seemed like the power hitter just loved smashing their bowler. To this, we even saw a funny comment surface on the internet which said,
“I think Zazai has a personal problem with Karachi Kings.”
He scored 77 runs off just 38 balls, missed his well-deserved century but played a huge role in taking his team over the line. 10 fours and 5 sixes were the main highlights of his innings.
Eliminator 2: Peshawar Zalmi vs. Islamabad United
The United came with a strong plan against Zazai in the race for the final. They trapped him well in the first few overs, and he couldn’t hit freely as much as he would have liked. Everyone expected him to get frustrated and throw his wicket away. To Islamabad’s surprise and Peshawar’s luck, Zazai didn’t do that. He stayed on the crease for long enough, kept rotating the strike with his partner Wells and started to hit the loose balls in every direction.
This approach led him to score 66 runs off 44 balls with 6 fours and 4 sixes. The stats of his performance are pleasing to people who like seeing even numbers and all the Zalmi fans around the globe.
Peshawar Zalmi made it into the final PSL season six for the fourth time, and much credit goes to the power hitter. Without his aggressive yet sensible display of batting, the journey indeed wouldn’t have been this smooth.
The future awaits:
There is only one match left of the league; everyone has their eyes on Hazratullah Zazai. Everyone expects him to play yet another thrilling innings but will he? Guess we’ll have to watch the final to find out.
