Muhammad Irfan Khan vows to lift Top End T20 series Trophy

DARWIN: Pakistan Shaheens captain Muhammad Irfan Khan has set his sights on the Top End T20 Series Trophy after leading his side to a thrilling one-run victory against Nepal here on Friday.

Pakistan Shaheens edge past Nepal by one run as Faisal Akram bowled a terrific final over under pressure with only eight runs to defend.

The drama unfolded in the last over with Nepal scoring four runs in the first two deliveries.

However, under pressure, well-set batter, Dipendra Singh Airee, attempted an unconventional reverse shot, which went straight to the fielder, resulting in his run out and emphatic win for Pakistan Shaheens.

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For Pakistan Shaheens, Irfan Khan bagged the Player of the Match award for his blistering knock. The right-handed batter made 42* from 26 balls, striking three fours and a six.

Speaking in the post-match presentation, Irfan spoke about the condition in Darwin and lauded bowlers for defending a low total.

“The conditions were not easy, and we lost early wickets. We tried to play out the full 20 overs, and that effort paid off,” he said.

“Our bowlers bowled really well, which is why we won the match,” he remarked.

One question regarding the conditions, the skipper mentioned his previous outings in Australia.

“On previous tours, the conditions were different, and this year has brought a different challenge too. We always try to adapt ourselves according to the conditions,” he said.

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“In Darwin, the conditions are dry; they are not the typical Australian conditions,” he further remarked.

With this, Pakistan Shaheens are on the verge of reaching the semi-finals, and Irfan Khan has vowed to win the Top End T20 series Trophy.

“We came here with the determination to take the trophy, and we’ll keep working toward that goal, said Irfan Khan.

“The crowd is very energetic, and I really enjoy it—it gives us a big boost while we are playing,” he concluded by thanking the energetic crowd.

READ: Faisal Akram holds nerves as Pakistan Shaheens clinch last-ball thriller against Nepal

Irfan’s ton steers Pakistan Shaheens to Top End T20 Series semi-final

Muhammad Irfan Khan registered his maiden T20 century as Pakistan Shaheens beat Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Comets by 91 runs in their last league game on Saturday in the Top End T20 series at the DXC Arena in Darwin.

Defending a huge total of 202 runs, the Shaheens made light work of ACT Comets batting line-up as they were bundled out for a mere 111 in 16.1 overs.

Mubasir Khan dismissed opening batters, Esam Rahman (9, 4b, 2x4s), Nicholas Broes (3, 7b) early while Arafat got rid of Michael Mcnamara (5, 3b) reducing the ACT Comets to 24-3 in 3.1 overs.

Tyler van Luin (29, 17b, 4x4s, 1×6) and Zak Keogh (26, 20b, 2x4s, 1×6) looked threatening as the duo added 49 runs for fourth-wicket off just five overs but fell in the ninth and tenth over respectively with the scorecard reading 79-5.

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ACT Comets lost their next five wickets for just 32 runs as the Shaheens spinners ran riot taking all ten wickets. Arif Yaqoob bagged figures of 4-36 while Arafat dismissed three batters. Mubasir had two wickets to his name while Faisal Akram picked up one.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, Pakistan Shaheens lost their opening batters, Abdul Faseeh (8, 3b, 2x4s) and Mohammad Haris (15, 13b, 2x4s) in the first and fourth over, respectively.

Omair Bin Yousuf (7, 6b, 1×4) and Usman Khan (5, 5b) were the other Shaheens wickets to fall in subsequent overs as they stood 48-4 at the end of the field restrictions.

At this point, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Haseebullah joined forces to take Shaheens out of trouble. The duo put on a mammoth 140-run fifth-wicket partnership off 13 overs.

Irfan struck a brilliant century scoring 106 off 56 balls clubbing 14 fours and two sixes before departing in the 19th over. Haseebullah remained unbeaten for 49 which came off 34 balls hitting four boundaries and a solitary six.

Pakistan Shaheens posted 202-6 in the allotted 20 overs as Hanno Jacobs took two wickets for ACT Comets while Zak Keogh, Tyler Hays, Esam Rahman and Jake Smith picked one wicket each.

With this win, Shaheens secured the top position on the Top End T20 Series standings with five wins in six games and have qualified for the semi-finals along with Adelaide Strikers, Bangladesh ‘A’ and Northern Territory Strike.

READ: Wasim Akram slams fitness level of Pakistan cricket team

Muhammad Irfan Khan wants to follow Shoaib Malik’s footsteps

LAHORE: Karachi Kings’ young middle-order batter Muhammad Irfan Khan on Thursday, revealed his plans to serve Pakistan cricket like his idol Shoaib Malik.

Irfan, while interacting with the media on the sidelines of the Kings’ optional training session at LCCA Cricket Ground here, revealed his admiration for senior teammate Shoaib Malik.

“The number of matches Shoaib bhai played for Pakistan, I want to emulate that. My strive would be to play as many matches. He has lots of experience and is my idol,” said Irfan.

The young batter also shared the experience of sharing the dressing room with senior players like Malik during his second stint with Karachi Kings.

“It [PSL] is the best platform for the youngsters. Those who perform well here soon make their debut for Pakistan,” he said.

“And, it is a good stage where you get to share the dressing with big names like [Kieron] Pollard and Shoaib bhai which gives you a wealth of experience,” he added.

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Irfan Khan then ruled out any difficulty in sharing the dressing room with senior players.

“It is not tough at all because the seniors we have here like Shoaib, Shan, and Hasan Ali, all are supportive. They back us and motivate us to trust our abilities,” Irfan stated.

It is worth mentioning here that Karachi Kings next face arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

The 2020 champions are fourth in the PSL 9 standings with two points in two matches while the hosts had a worrying start to their title defence, having lost their three opening matches on the trot.

Karachi Kings Squad for HBL PSL 9: Shan Masood (c), Kieron Pollard, Daniel Sams, Mohammad Nawaz, Tim Siefert/Fawad Ali, James Vince, Hasan Ali, Shoaib Malik, Tabraiz Shamis, Mohammad Amir Khan, Anwar Ali, Arafat Minhas, Mir Hamza, Muhammad Akhlaq, Muhammad Irfan Niazi, Sirajuddin, Saad Baig, and Blessing Muzarabani, Zahid Mehmood, Leus De Plooy, Mohammad Rohid.

READ: Wanindu Hasaranga blasts umpire over no-ball decision

Muhammad Irfan Khan ‘upbeat’ for second stint with Karachi Kings

Young middle-order batter Muhammad Irfan Khan shared his excitement about his second stint with the former Pakistan Super League (PSL) champions Karachi Kings.

In a video message, released by the franchise, Muhammad Irfan Khan thanked the owner of Karachi Kings Mr Salman Iqbal and the rest of the management for showing faith in his abilities.

“First of all, I would like to thank Mr Salman Iqbal and Karachi Kings’ management for not only picking me in the players’ draft but also for showing faith in me by retaining me this year,” said Irfan.

Muhammad Irfan Khan then urged Karachi Kings’ fans to keep supporting the team while also sharing that he is upbeat to perform well.

“I request Karachi Kings’ supporters to keep supporting the team, we are excited to perform well this year,” he added.

Earlier, South African wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi also shared a video message for his fans and the franchise supporters and asserted that he will help the 2020 champions lift the silverware again by bringing his best.

“I’m beyond excited to be back for the Kings this year. I know it’s been a bit disappointing that it’s been a while since we won the trophy but I will bring my A-Game and help the team to win this trophy once again,” stated Shamsi.

“It’s gonna be a thrilling season and I can’t wait to see you all soon,” he added.

It is worth mentioning here that Tabraiz Shamsi and Muhammad Irfan Khan were two of the eight players retained by Karachi Kings ahead of the Players’ Draft for the PSL 9, scheduled on December 13.

Besides them, the Kings retained Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood — who joined the franchise after a successful trade with Multan Sultans — James Vince, Hasan Ali, Shoaib Malik, Mir Hamza and Muhammad Akhlaq.

READ: Tabraiz Shamsi vows to bring ‘A-Game’ for Karachi Kings in PSL 9

PSL 8: Young Irfan eager to learn from ‘idol’ Shoaib Malik in Karachi Kings

LAHORE: Young middle-order batter Muhammad Irfan Khan has set his sights to learn from his idol veteran Shoaib Malik during his stint for Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) most followed franchise Karachi Kings in the upcoming eighth edition.

Irfan, a product of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) age-group programme, is aiming to perform well in his maiden PSL season while also looking forward to interacting with his idol Malik and learning valuable batting tips from him.

“Getting selected for the first time in the PSL is certainly a satisfying feeling. I want to perform well in this tournament as the PSL stage propels you to the limelight and you can boost your case for selection in the national team,” said Irfan.

“In Karachi Kings, I will have the opportunity of interacting with my cricketing idol Shoaib Malik, who has a lot of experience playing for Pakistan and in leagues around the globe. He is also a middle-order batter like me so I will definitely use the opportunity to learn from him,” he added.

The 20-year-old further termed former Peshawar Zalmi’s captain Darren Sammy’s heroics against Quetta Gladiators in PSL 2018 his favourite moment as the latter led his team to triumph after a tricky run chase despite the injury.

“Daren Sammy’s heroics for Peshawar Zalmi in the HBL PSL 2018 match against Quetta Gladiators was a memorable moment. He was unfit during the chase but still helped Peshawar win the match at a time when they required 16 off 7 balls,” Irfan concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that Irfan has represented Pakistan in two ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cups in 2020 and 2022.

The right-handed batter accumulated 141 runs in nine innings in the National T20 2022-23 at a strike rate of 153.26 with a 31-ball 57 against Balochistan being the highlight of his campaign.

READ: Mahoor’s father wins two gold medals in Indoor Rowing championship

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