Sharjeel Khan

Sharjeel Khan is a Pakistani cricketer who plays for the Hyderabad Kingsmen in the Pakistan Super League and Sindh in domestic tournaments. He is an attacking opening batsman known for his high strike rates across various formats.

Early life and education

Sharjeel Khan was born on 14 August 1989 in Hyderabad, Sindh. He grew up within an Urdu-speaking family. While his specific educational background is not detailed, his roots remain in the Sindh province.

Career

Khan made his first-class debut for Hyderabad on 10 October 2009 during the 2009–10 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He scored a hundred in his second innings during this debut period. His success continued as he recorded two centuries in Twenty20 games.

He received his first call-up for the Pakistan national team during Sri Lanka's tour of the UAE in 2013. After making a promising 34 in his second T20I match in Dubai, he struck 50 runs off 25 balls in his third game against Sri Lanka. These performances established him as a regular player for Pakistan in limited-overs cricket.

The 2016 Pakistan Super League marked a significant period for the batsman. Playing for Islamabad United, he scored 300 runs and finished as the third-highest run-scorer of the tournament. He hit 19 sixes during the inaugural season—the most in the competition—and recorded the first century in PSL history. His notable innings included 117 runs from 62 deliveries against the Quetta Gladiators.

Khan expanded his international profile through several high-scoring milestones. He made his Twenty20 International debut on 8 December 2013 against Afghanistan and his One Day International debut on 18 December 2013 against Sri Lanka. In that debut ODI, he scored 61 runs from 61 balls. On 18 August 2016, he hit a century against Ireland at Malahide using only 61 deliveries. This score of 150 remains the third-fastest in all-time history behind AB de Villiers and Shane Watson.

His international career faced a major disruption due to disciplinary issues. In February 2017, he was provisionally suspended following an investigation into alleged corruption during the Pakistan Super League. On 30 August 2017, the PCB found him guilty on five counts of violating the anti-corruption code. He received a five-year ban, though two and a half years of that sentence were suspended. This period of inactivity meant he missed two complete seasons of the tournament.

Following the lifting of his ban in August 2019, Khan returned to professional cricket. He was included in the players' draft for the fifth edition of the PSL. In December 2021, he signed with the Karachi Kings for the 2022 season. He also played for the Khulna Tigers in the 2022–23 Bangladesh Premier League.

Personal life

Khan was born into an Urdu-speaking family in Hyderabad. He remains a prominent figure in the Pakistani sporting community.

Awards and recognition

He was a member of the bronze-medal winning team at the 2010 Asian Games held in Guangzhou, China. During the 2016 ICC World Twenty20, he served as the highest run-scorer for the Pakistan squad. His century against Ireland is recognized as the fourth-highest One Day International score by a Pakistani player.