Shahbaz Ahmed
Shahbaz Ahmed (cricketer)
Full name: Shahbaz Ahmed Mewati
Born/Date of Birthday: 12 December 1994
Place of Birth: Mewat, Haryana, India
Nationality: Indian
Batting: Left-handed
Bowling: Slow left-arm orthodox
Role: All-rounder
Domestic team information
2018–present: Bengal
2020–present: Royal Challengers Bangalore
Shahbaz Ahmed Mewati (born 12 December 1994) is an Indian cricketer who plays for Bengal in domestic matches and for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He is a bowling all-rounder who bats left-handed.
Early life
Shahbaz Ahmed is an all-rounder trying to make his mark in the Indian domestic circuit, albeit the journey to the big stage was not easy for him. He had a few issues to handle during the early days of his career. However, after beginning his career with Bengal, Shahbaz did not look back.Naturally he is a batsman but he worked on his bowling skills to raise his stocks as a cricketer. Ahmed considers Ravindra Jadeja as his idol.
Domestic career
Shahbaz made his List A debut for Bengal in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy on 20 September 2018 against Jammu and Kashmir team at Chennai. He returned with figures of 1/22 in his debut match. During his maiden first-class cap versus Hyderabad, he scored 27 runs and picked one wicket. He made his Twenty20 debut for Bengal in the 2018–19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on 24 February 2019 against Haryana at Cuttack and picked one wicket again besides contributing a vital 12-ball 17 in the lower order that eventually helped his team win the match by three wickets.
So far, Shahbaz has played 13 first-class matches, scoring 559 runs, including four half-centuries, taking 37 first-class wickets at an economy rate of 2.60. In List-A cricket, he has scored 435 runs in 16 innings at an average of 39.54. He has 18 List-A wickets to his name, with his best figures of 3/35. In T20 cricket, he has taken 21 wickets in 23 innings at an economy rate of 6.84 and has recorded one fifty.
In January 2021, against Hyderabad, he became the seventh player from Bengal and first since India pacer Mohammed Shami to claim a Ranji Trophy hat-trick.
In October 2019, he was named in India A's squad for the 2019–20 Deodhar Trophy.
Indian Premier League
In the 2020 IPL auction, he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the 2020 Indian Premier League.
He made his debut in the IPL against Rajasthan Royals, during the 33rd match of 2020 Indian Premier League. Shahbaz went wicketless and conceded 18 runs. Throughout the season, he took a couple of wickets in as many games he played with an economy rate of 7.33. In April 2021, Shahbaz took three wickets in one over against the Sunrisers Hyderabad during the sixth match of 2021 Indian Premier League, which was eventually won by his team. His performances earned praise from a section of critics. During the second phase of the tournament, against Rajasthan he took a brace for 10 runs.
In February 2022, he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the auction for the 2022 Indian Premier League tournament.
