5 Pakistan players who could have captained an Indian T20 League side

The Indian T20 League is undoubtedly a carnival where world-class cricketers gather to showcase their skills and talent to the world. The tournament has completed its 15 seasons so far. The recently concluded edition of the league has witnessed a new champion in the form of new entrants Gujarat Titans.

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Notably, the T20 league features both international and uncapped players from different countries. The first season of the tournament also featured the cricketers from India’s close neighbor Pakistan. But after the first season, the Indian cricket board banned the cricketers of Pakistan from the Indian T20 League.

Many cricket experts and fans talk about the fact that how interesting could have been the league if Pakistanis would’ve been a part of it. So, here, we’ll have a look at the five prime cricketers from Pakistan who could’ve captained a team in the Indian T20 League.

Shahid Afridi

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One of the most celebrated all-rounders of Pakistan, Shahid Afridi delivered his services to his country for almost two decades. Notably, Afridi had been a part of the Indian T20 League in the inaugural edition of the tournament. He was picked by the Hyderabad franchise. But after the ban, he couldn’t feature in any of the editions of this league.

Later on, he started his career in the franchise league again when Pakistan Cricket Board introduced their own league in the form of the Pakistan Super League. The 42-year-old has played 53 matches in his PSL career so far for different teams including the likes of Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, and Quetta Gladiators. He also led the teams during his stint in PSL.

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Considering his leadership skills both for Pakistan in international and in franchise leagues, Shahid could’ve been the best contender for the captaincy of any team in the Indian T20 League.

Shoaib Malik

All-time great showman of Pakistan is still in action even at the age of 40 and spent more than two decades on the field of cricket. Shoaib Malik was also a part of the team in the Indian T20 League. He played in seven matches for the Delhi-based franchise team. The Sialkot-based lad captained the international side of Pakistan for a long time. The team also reached in the final of the first ever T20 World Cup in 2007 where they lost to India in a nail-biting thriller.

Apart from this, Malik has also featured in the PSL. After playing in 72 matches, he has scored 1882 runs so far with a fine average of 31.27 having 12 centuries to his name. He has played for Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, and Peshawar Zalmi so far. Unbelievably, he is on the fourth spot in the list of highest run scorers of PSL. His leadership qualities make him all eligible to fit in the role of a captain for any team in the Indian T20 League.

Mohammad Rizwan

The talented wicketkeeper-batter produced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Pakistan has given his immense contributions to Pakistan. Rizwan has impressed everyone with his stellar performances in the last couple of years. He also led Multan Sultans to the title triumph in the 2021 season of the PSL.

Many experts went on to praise his leadership skills during his stint with the Multan Sultans. Speaking of his records in the PSL, Rizwan has played 59 matches so far, batting in 48 innings of these matches, the 30-year-old has scored 1446 runs with an amazing average of 40.16 having 12 half-centuries to his name.

Rizwan’s knack for leading the team would be very beneficial for a team in the Indian T20 League. He may have also added brilliance to the league with his extraordinary batting skills.

Mohammad Hafeez

The ‘professor’ Mohammad Hafeez made his first international appearance for Pakistan 19 years back in 2003. He has also led Pakistan on a couple of during his international career. He hung his boots from the international cricket only a few months back. Other than this, the professor is also playing in PSL since 2016.

Batting in 68 innings of 71 matches, he has scored 1596 runs with an average of 27.51 having nine half-centuries. The 41-year-old has played for Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi so far. Other than being the fifth highest run scorer in PSL, Hafeez has also had some good outings as the skipper. His presence in the Indian T20 League could’ve been a great boost to put up cricket wisdom in the league.

Babar Azam

One of the modern-day great batters Babar Azam is the highest run scorer in the Pakistan Super League. He is also the current skipper of the international side of Pakistan. He has captained Karachi Kings in the PSL and also played for the Islamabad-based franchise team.

Babar led Pakistan to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2021 last year where they lost to Australia. His leadership skills have improved the level of Pakistan as a team. Notably, Babar hasn’t played in the Indian T20 League as the ban on Pakistani cricketers was imposed when Babar was not introduced to cricket. He could have been a great addition to the league if somehow tension between both countries reduces to any extent.