Ikram Alikhil

A pint-sized wicket-keeper batsman, Ikram Ali Khil is a solid left-handed batsman and a competent gloveman as well. The controversial exit of Mohammad Shahzad saw Ikram being thrust into international cricket suddenly, including an SOS call during the 2019 World Cup. Unlike the star he replaced, Ikram is more of a safety valve kind of batsman who likes to bat through an innings by steadily building his momentum. His initial World Cup outings made him seem out of place, even though his defensive technique looked impressive. During Afghanistan’s final league game against West Indies, Ikram finally came into his own with a classy knock of 86 in the top order. Behind the stumps, Ikram is agile but still has a bit of work to do to become a rounded wicket-keeper. His half-century shows that as a batsman, he is best suited to bat in the top three and would be wasted if utilized as a number seven or lower. Ikram will be competing with another skilled teenage wicket-keeper batsman Ibrahim Zadran for that spot as Afghanistan’s premier gloveman.

Written by Hariprasad Sadanandan