Pakistan players in IPL: List of Pakistan players who have played in the Indian Premier League

Pakistan players in IPL: The Indian Premier League is undoubtedly the biggest T20 league in the world. Whether it is the finances or the quality of cricket, IPL has always paved the way for young players to make it big at the international level. Over the years, almost all cricket playing nations have included players in the IPL. However, due to some political tensions, Pakistani players have not featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for over a decade now.

The absence of T20 stars like Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan was a big loss for IPL. They would have been highly sought after had they participated in the tournament. In the first edition of IPL in 2008, Sohail Tanvir was the star player for Rajasthan Royals. He was the player with the most wickets and scored the winning run with the last ball of the tournament as the Royals defeated Chennai Super Kings to clinch the title. Tanvir’s figures of 6-14 against Chennai remain the best bowling performance until 2019 on IPL.

Pakistan players in IPL

Below is the list of Pakistan players who have featured in IPL.

1) Shoaib Akhtar- Kolkata Knight Riders

2) Salman Butt- Kolkata Knight Riders

3) Mohammad Hafeez- Kolkata Knight Riders

4) Umar Gul- Kolkata Knight Riders

5) Azhar Mahmood- Kolkata Knight Riders & Kings XI Punjab (Punjab Kings)

6) Kamran Akmal- Rajasthan Royals

7) Younis Khan- Rajasthan Royals

8) Sohail Tanvir- Rajasthan Royals

9) Shoaib Malik- Delhi Daredevils

10) Mohammad Asif- Delhi Daredevils

11) Shahid Afridi- Deccan Chargers

12) Misbah ul Haq- Royal Challengers Bangalore

In conclusion, the absence of Pakistan players in the IPL has been a major loss for the league. Fans can only look back to the star performances of players like Sohail Tanvir in the inaugural edition. Despite the absence of Pakistan players in IPL, the league continues to be one of the most popular T20 cricket leagues in the world.