Shahbaz Ahmed (cricketer)

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Shahbaz Ahmed (born 11 December 1994) is an Indian international cricketer who plays as a left-handed all-rounder and bowls slow left-arm orthodox spin. He has represented India in One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket and has played domestic cricket for Bengal.

Shahbaz has also been associated with several franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL), initially representing Royal Challengers Bangalore before moving to Sunrisers Hyderabad. He was also a member of the Indian men's cricket team that won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games.

Early life and education

Shahbaz Ahmed was born on 11 December 1994 in Nuh district, Haryana. His father, Ahmed Jan, worked as a clerk in the sub-divisional magistrate's office in Nuh, while his mother, Abnam Ahmed, is a homemaker.

Shahbaz was academically successful during his school years, scoring 80 percent in Class 10 and 88 percent in Class 12. He initially pursued engineering studies but eventually decided to focus on cricket as a professional career. He later completed his B.Tech degree during the COVID-19 lockdown in India.

After deciding to pursue cricket, Shahbaz moved to Kolkata. During his early days in the city, he lived in a small room with three other cricketers and supported himself by washing utensils while attempting to establish himself in the local cricket circuit.

He began playing second-division cricket in Kolkata and was introduced to coach Partha Pratim Chowdhury by first-class cricketer Pramod Chandila. With Chowdhury's support, Shahbaz joined Tapan Memorial Club and eventually stayed with his coach's family.

His performances at club level attracted the attention of Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary, who supported his development. He also received guidance from Bengal coach Arun Lal. His performances during the 2019–20 Ranji Trophy campaign earned him the nickname "Jaanbaaz".

Domestic career

Shahbaz made his List A debut for Bengal on 20 September 2018 against Jammu and Kashmir in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy at Chennai. He returned figures of 1/22 in his first List A appearance.

He made his first-class debut for Bengal against Hyderabad, scoring 27 runs and taking one wicket. He subsequently established himself as a dependable lower-order batter and left-arm spinner.

Shahbaz made his Twenty20 debut for Bengal on 24 February 2019 against Haryana in the 2018–19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at Cuttack. He took one wicket and scored a valuable 17 runs from 12 deliveries as Bengal won the match by three wickets.

In January 2021, Shahbaz achieved one of the notable bowling performances of his domestic career when he took a hat-trick against Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy. He became the seventh Bengal player to claim a Ranji Trophy hat-trick and the first from the state since Mohammed Shami.

In October 2019, he was selected for India A's squad for the 2019–20 Deodhar Trophy.

Indian Premier League

Shahbaz entered the IPL after being bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2020 IPL auction.

He made his IPL debut against Rajasthan Royals during the 2020 season. He went wicketless in the match and conceded 18 runs. Across the season, he took two wickets in the two matches he played.

During the 2021 IPL season, Shahbaz produced one of his most memorable performances when he took three wickets in a single over against Sunrisers Hyderabad. His spell played an important role in Royal Challengers Bangalore's victory and brought him wider recognition as a useful T20 bowling option.

Later in the same tournament, he took two wickets for 10 runs against Rajasthan Royals.

In February 2022, Shahbaz was retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore through the IPL auction. He remained an important part of the team's spin-bowling options and contributed as a lower-order batter.

In November 2023, Shahbaz was traded from Royal Challengers Bangalore to Sunrisers Hyderabad.

International career

Shahbaz was first called up to India's ODI squad in August 2022 as a replacement for the injured Washington Sundar for India's tour of Zimbabwe.

In October 2022, he was again named in India's ODI squad for the series against South Africa. He made his ODI debut against South Africa on 9 October 2022.

His international debut marked the culmination of a journey from second-division cricket in Kolkata to representing India.

Shahbaz later made his T20I debut for India on 6 October 2023 against Bangladesh.

In December 2025, Shahbaz was named as a replacement for Axar Patel in India's T20I squad for South Africa's tour of India.

Asian Games

Shahbaz was part of the Indian men's cricket squad at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Cricket was played at the Games in the T20 format, and India won the gold medal after the final against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain, with India receiving the gold medal based on its higher seeding.

The gold medal became one of the notable achievements of Shahbaz's international career.

Playing style

Shahbaz is a left-handed batter and slow left-arm orthodox bowler. His ability to contribute in both departments has made him a useful all-rounder, particularly in limited-overs cricket.

As a bowler, he relies on accuracy, variations in pace and changes in trajectory to create pressure on batters. His batting provides additional depth to teams, allowing him to operate primarily as a lower-order contributor.

His versatility has helped him establish roles in both domestic cricket and the IPL.

References

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