Zadran, 23, was born in Khost in Afghanistan and is a starter in the shorter formats, claiming the post of the vice-captain in their T20I setup.
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The right-handed batter plays for the Mis Ainak Region in the Afghan domestic circuit. He is known to be a powerful striker of the ball. For long, Afghan batters were not necessarily known for their prowess against pace bowling. However, Zadran is an exception in this front. He is at ease against pace bowlking, demonstrating a strong base that allows him to unleash his bigger shots conveniently. Zadran is impeccable against short-length deliveries, pulling them on the leg consistently. He has played two U-19 World Cups for Afghanistan and has a strong defence that has laid the base for his overall flamboyant style of play too.
Zadran has seven Tests, 34 ODIs, and 44 T20Is for Afghanistan. He averaged 47 in 50-overs cricket, hitting seven half-centuries and six tons, at a strike rate of 80.09. In his nascent career, Zadran has shown a tendency to play big knocks against seasoned opponents.
For instance, he had tallied 129 against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium during the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup. He followed it up with a half-century against the Aussies at St Lucia in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 during Afghanistan’s incredible run to the semi-finals.
The most impressive aspect of Zadran’s innings against England was that he almost carried his bat, getting dismissed only in the 50th over. His ability to play a long and impactful innings took Afghanistan to a safe total, though the track in Lahore assists batters and that means that any total is not safe enough there.
