3 things you need to know about Fazalhaq Farooqi, SRH's newest Afghan player
Fazalhaq Farooqi has made his IPL debut today for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The left-arm fast bowler from Afghanistan replaced Sean Abbott in the playing XI.
Abbott made his SRH debut against Delhi Capitals a few days ago. However, he bowled an expensive spell, leading to his exclusion from the XI. Farooqi, meanwhile, has been associated with multiple IPL franchises before receiving his maiden cap in the competition at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
He bowled four overs, conceding 47 runs at an economy rate of 11.75. The left-arm fast bowler seems a promising talent. Before he becomes a big name in the league, here're some important things you need to know about Fazalhaq Farooqi:
#1 Fazalhaq Farooqi was a net bowler for Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings
As mentioned earlier, Fazalhaq Farooqi has been with other IPL teams before debuting for the Sunrisers. In IPL 2020, he was a net bowler for Punjab Kings, while in 2021, he was with Chennai Super Kings.
This year, Sunrisers Hyderabad signed him for ₹50 lakh at the IPL 2022 mega auction. After warming the bench for a few games, Farooqi received a place in the SRH playing XI against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
#2 He bowled the best spell of his T20 career in his last match
Farooqi has played only seven matches in his T20 career. He played his last game against Bangladesh on March 5, 2020 in Mirpur. The left-arm pacer returned figures of 3-18 in that match, the best figures of his career.
Overall, he has picked up eight wickets in seven games. It will be interesting to see how he performs in the IPL.
Get the latest IPL 2022 live score updates here every day!
#3 He finished runners-up with Delhi Bulls in Abu Dhabi T10 League
While Farooqi has just started his IPL career, he has a decent experience of playing in franchise-based leagues. He played under Dwayne Bravo for Delhi Bulls in Abu Dhabi T10.
The Bulls qualified for the final of the competition, losing to Deccan Gladiators. He played 12 matches for Delhi that season, picking up seven wickets.