Zaheer Khan is a former cricketer from India. He was born in Shrirampur, Maharashtra, India, on October 7, 1978. He was a right-handed batsman and a left-arm fast-medium bowler.
Zaheer was considered as one of the greatest fast bowlers to have ever represented India. In Test cricket, he is India’s second-most effective fast bowler.
Debut
In 2000, Zaheer made his ODI and Test debuts against Kenya and Bangladesh, respectively. In his debut match, he bowled incredibly well, picking up three wickets at an economy rate of 4.8.
Rise to glory
Zaheer has been lauded for his good performances on subcontinent pitches, which favour spinners over fast bowlers.
For a long time, he was the backbone of India’s fast bowling lineup. In 2008, he was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year.
In the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, he took the joint-most wickets. He was instrumental in India’s World Cup victory, taking 21 wickets in just nine games.
Stats and Records
In Tests, Zaheer took 311 wickets at an average of 32.95. He had a total of 11 five-wicket hauls to his credit. In 200 ODI matches, he took 282 wickets at an economy rate of 4.93.
Zaheer had previously set the record for the highest Test score by a number 11 with a 75 against Bangladesh in 2004. Tino Best of the West Indies shattered this record in 2012.
Retirement
On October 15, 2015, Zaheer announced his retirement from international cricket. After retiring from international cricket, he joined the Delhi Daredevils.
Background
In the 1999-2000 season, Zaheer Khan began his career by playing for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy. He played for Mumbai from 2006 to 2014 after playing for Baroda.
In the years 2004 and 2006, he has had the chance to play county cricket for Surrey and Worcestershire, respectively. He began his career in the Indian Premier League with the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Later in his career, he was a member of the Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils.
Zaheer was a unique bowler because of his ability to swing the ball both directions, deliver reverse swing with the older ball, and bowl yorkers in the death overs.