Former Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi has been one of the most popular cricketers in the world ever since his debut in 1996. Afridi’s magnificent international career came to an end in 2018 but he is still going strong in franchise T20 cricket at the age of 44.
He is one of the most sought-after players in franchise leagues all over the world and his exceptional cricket and leadership skills have been invaluable for teams in their bid to win T20 cricket competitions. Afridi has won almost every T20 competition he has competed in and is one of the most decorated players in T20 cricket history.
Afridi has played in several T20 leagues around the world, including, Pakistan Super League (PSL), Big Bash League (BBL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Indian Premier League (IPL), Lankan Premier League (LPL) and England’s T20 Blast along with many others. He recently represented Rawalakot Hawks in the inaugural edition of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) and will also be seen in action in Nepal’s Everest Premier League.
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Here are the T20 titles Afridi has won:
2009 T20 World Cup – Pakistan
Afridi’s magnificent match-winning performances in the semi-final and the final of the tournament led Pakistan to their first-ever T20 World Cup title win. Afridi was named as player of the match in both the matches as he scored half-centuries in each match, and also picked up three wickets in the two matches.
Afridi scored 176 runs at an average of 35.20 and a strike rate of 140.80 in seven matches in the T20 World Cup. His bowling statistics were impressive as well. He finished the tournament as the fifth-highest wicket-taker as he picked up 11 wickets at an average of 13.54 and an exceptional economy rate of 5.32.
The historic win was Pakistan’s first ICC tournament win since the 1992 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Bangladesh Premier League 2012 – Dhaka Gladiators
Shahid Afridi was picked up by Dhaka Gladiators in the inaugural edition of the Bangladesh Premier League but was only available to play two matches due to scheduling conflicts. Despite not playing a major role in the tournament, Afridi was part of the Dhaka Gladiators squad that won the inaugural edition of the tournament.
Pakistan Super League 2017 – Peshawar Zalmi
Afridi played an instrumental role in the Peshawar Zalmi’s success ever since the inception of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He was the first captain of the franchise and led them to a play-off position in the inaugural edition of the league.
Afridi relinquished the captaincy next season and played a crucial role for the side as they won their first PSL title. Afridi was the second-highest scorer for the franchise in the season as he scored 177 runs at an average of 25.28 at a strike rate of 173.52 in the 8 innings he played in the tournament.
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Bangladesh Premier League 2019 – Comilla Victorians
‘Boom Boom’ won his second BPL title in 2019 as Comilla Victorians defeated Dhaka Dynamites by 17 runs in the final. Again Afridi proved to be a pivotal part of the side throughout the tournament, performing with both the bat and the ball.
Afridi scored 141 runs at an average of 20.14 and a strike rate of 136.89 in 9 innings and picked up 16 wickets at an average of 17.68 and an economy rate of 6.15 in 13 matches in the tournament.
Pakistan Super League 2021 – Multan Sultans
The 44-year old won his second PSL title as Multan Sultans won the sixth edition of the tournament. Unfortunately, Afridi could only manage to play four matches for the side before being sidelined with an injury. Despite the injury ruling him out of the tournament, he was regarded as the most influential personality in the dressing room.
Afridi picked up only two wickets at an average of 67.50 and an economy rate of 9.00 in the four matches he played in the tournament.
Kashmir Premier League 2021 – Rawalakot Hawks
‘Lala’ guided the Rawalakot Hawks to victory in the inaugural edition of the Kashmir Premier League. He was signed by the Hawks as their marquee player and was appointed as captain of the side. Afridi, yet again was instrumental in the tournament as he picked up 8 wickets at an average of 20.62 and an economy rate of 7.50 in 6 matches in the tournament.
He also picked up two crucial wickets in the final of the tournament as Rawalakot Hawks defeated Muzaffarabad Tigers by 8 runs.
Via Cricwick
