Since the inception of the Pakistan Super League back in 2016, it has remained a breeding ground for pacers. The presence of world-class fast bowlers is what gives an edge to the Pakistan Super League over the other T20 leagues.
In the current PSL edition, there are many pacers who can make their way to the national setup, and the Multan Sultans pacer, Shahnawaz Dahani is one of them. Recruited by Multan Sultans in the 2021 edition, the Larkana-born right-arm fast bowler has been in the headlines for his pace and smart bowling. Last night, his magnificent performance with the ball led his side to the final for the second consecutive PSL.
Like the previous edition, the Multan Sultans pacer has been at the top of his game, especially in the last few games, helping the Sultans win matches on different occasions. In the current edition, He is among the leading wicket-taking pacers just ahead of Shaheen Shah Afridi.
During the ongoing PSL season, the fast bowler has played 10 innings and took 16 wickets, just ahead of Shaheen Afridi with 15 wickets. Dahani has maintained his bowling average at 18.87 which is far better than other pacers in the tournament.
Stats can help understand the pacer’s ability and competence as a short-format cricketer. It is to mention here that the right arm pacer did not participate against Islamabad United in the first phase of PSL. Here are Shahnawaz Dahani’s bowling performance in each match of PSL 7:
| Opponents | Bowling Figures |
| Karachi Kings | 1/14 |
| Lahore Qalandars | 1/44 |
| Quetta Gladiators | 0/33 |
| Peshawar Zalmi | 3/41 |
| Peshawar Zalmi | 2/45 |
| Lahore Qalandars | 1/31 |
| Karachi Kings | 2/44 |
| Quetta Gladiators | 2/22 |
| Islamabad United | 1/19 |
| Lahore Qalandars | 3/19 |
Like many other talented Pakistani cricketers, the story of Shahnawaz Dahani is not much different. Born in a village in Larkana, Sindh, the 23-year-old made his first-class debut in 2019 for Sindh. Dahani represented Sindh in the 2019-20 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and after one and half years, he entered league cricket through a talent hunt program.
In his debut edition in 2021, the right-arm pacer concluded the season with 20 wickets in his 11 matches and guided Multan Sultans to the PSL glory. The young pacer maintained a brilliant average of 17.00 and his best bowling figures were 4/5.
On the bases of his brilliant performance, Dahani was named in Pakistan’s Test squad for the Zimbabwe series and then in June 2021, he was added to the Test squad for the series against the West Indies. In September 2021, he was picked in Pakistan’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series while Dahani was also one of three traveling reserves in Pakistan’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2021.
Here are the leading fast bowlers in PSL7:
| Bowler | Wickets | Inns | Avg | Overs | BBI | ER |
| S Dahani (MS) | 16 | 10 | 18.87 | 33 | 3/19 | 9.15 |
| SS Afridi (LQ) | 15 | 11 | 22.13 | 44 | 3/40 | 7.54 |
| Naseem Shah (QG) | 14 | 10 | 21.85 | 38.1 | 5/20 | 8.01 |
| Zaman Khan (LQ) | 14 | 11 | 23.50 | 38.5 | 4/16 | 8.47 |
| Haris Rauf (LQ) | 13 | 11 | 31.15 | 43.4 | 3/33 | 9.27 |
Multan Sultans have already qualified for the final and it will be a great opportunity for the pacer to impress the selection committee and make a successful return to the national side with another match-winning performance.
