Azim Kazi

Azim Kazi is a left-arm orthodox bowler and a very handy lower-order batsman who made his debut in the recently-concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Maharashtra. In 10 matches, he only managed to pick up six wickets but at an economy rate of less than six - a fine achievement in terms of T20 cricket. Built in the Jadeja mould, Kazi is a flat trajectory bowler with not too many variations but the ability to land it in the same spot and cause the batsmen a lot of trouble, particularly on rank-turners. His contributions in the lower-order in the three innings he has played have been extremely helpful - particularly his 39* against Gujarat to pull off a chase off the penultimate ball of the innings. His pragmatic approach and understanding of the game, despite his limitations, have been visible in the first few games of his career, and he may well be in national contention, or at least in contention for an IPL cap, if he continues to churn out such performances.

Written by Rishi Roy