Hazratullah Zazai is an Afghan cricketer who plays for the Men’s National Cricket Team of Afghanistan in international cricket. He bats left-handed and is an opening batsman. In February 2019, he scored 162 not out of just 62 balls in a T20 International match against Ireland, which was the highlight of his career. In T20 cricket, this is the highest score by an Afghan batsman.
Player Background
Hazratullah was born in Paktia, Afghanistan, on March 23, 1998. Hazratullah bats left-handed and bowls orthodox slow left-arm slow left-arm slow left-arm slow left-arm slow left-arm slow left-arm slow left-arm slow left-arm slow
International Career
On December 16, 2016, Hazratullah made his international debut against the United Arab Emirates in a Twenty20 International match. In 2018, he made his One Day International debut for Afghanistan against Ireland.
Career Highlights
In a match against Ireland in 2018, Hazratullah scored the fastest T20I fifty by an Afghan cricketer, doing so in 22 deliveries. He scored 162 not out in 2019, leading Afghanistan to a mammoth 278 for 3 wickets, the highest ever T20I score. In this T20I match, he scored his first century, the highest by an Afghan and just the second highest T20I score in the world after Aaron Finch’s 172. He had a total of 16 sixes in this innings. With 236 runs made, his first-wicket partnership with Usman Ghani set a new record for any wicket in a T20I.
Domestic Career
Hazratullah represents the Sum Sharks in domestic cricket. On August 10, 2017, he made his List A debut for Amo Region in the Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament. On October 20, 2017, he made his first-class debut for Band-e-Amir Area in the 2017–18 Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day Tournament.
Hazratullah was named to Kabul Zwanan’s squad for the first edition of the Afghanistan Premier League tournament in September 2018. Zazai finished the tournament as the top run-scorer for Kabul Zwanan, scoring 322 runs in ten matches.
The Dhaka Dynamites were purchased in October 2018 for the 2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League season.
Achievements in Domestic Cricket
In a match against Balkh Legends on October 14, 2018, Zazai hit six sixes in one over. He also equaled the Twenty20 cricket record for the fastest fifty, which he completed in just twelve balls.
Hazratullah Zazai was selected to Afghanistan’s squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup in April 2019.