On December 11 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot, Bengal played Haryana in the 2023 Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinal, and Shahbaz Ahmed was outstanding. With a tenacious century at the bat that led Bengal to a comeback, the left-hander was the shining light.
This was his third century in List A cricket. The left-handed hitter reached this milestone as Bengal was struggling at 93 for five in 25.1 overs after being sent in to bat first. Rahul Tewatia ultimately bowled him in the final over of Bengal’s innings.
Shahbaz Ahmed is an excellent all-rounder who has represented India in five international matches and has shown steady play in domestic cricket.
Here are three reasons that Shahbaz Ahmed ought to have a successful season with the Indian squad:
3. An excellent successor to Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja helps his team in many ways. The coaches may want him to do less so he does not get too tired. Another player, Shahbaz Ahmed, could take some of Jadeja’s jobs.
Even though he might not be as good with the ball as Jadeja, he has proven to be a capable hitter in domestic cricket, finishing his overs quickly and giving up few runs.
Axar Patel is yet to secure the all-rounder berth in India’s white-ball squad, but given Shahbaz Ahmed’s efforts, he can be employed in the long run.
2. Experience under his belt
Shahbaz Ahmed can bowl and hit the ball hard. He has played many matches before for his team. Long matches, short matches, he helps his team in all. He knows his job is to help the team with both batting and bowling. From many years playing matches against other teams, he learned lots. His runs and wickets show he can do different things to win games. Other players in India watch him and know he is very good at more than one part of cricket.
Since the management is constantly searching for a hitter who can bat in the top five and also contribute with the ball, he may be a wonderful addition to the Indian side. As Team India looks to develop a core going ahead, he might be a good option because he has proven in domestic cricket that his technique and temperament are the genuine deal.
1. Excellent consistency
In the Deodhar Trophy, he contended with Shams Mulani for the title of top spinner, finishing with 12 wickets in five games, placing joint-second in the tournament for most wickets. His stats included an average of almost nine overs per game and an exceptional economy rate of 4.14.
And he’s finally come into his own with the bat. Shahbaz Ahmed achieved the 1,000-run barrier in List A cricket with his century against Haryana in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has 1,022 runs in 50 games, with an average and strike rate of more than 37 and 92, respectively. So far, he has three century and four fifties.
