Zaheer Khan

Zaheer Khan

Zaheer in 2011
Personal information
Born	(1978-10-08) 8 October 1978 (age 45) Shrirampur, Maharashtra, India
Nickname	Zak, Zippy, Zakky[1]
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[2]
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Left-Arm Fast Medium
Role	Bowler
Relations	children: TBD, spouse: 1
International information
National side	India (2000–2014)
Test debut (cap 231)	10 November 2000 v Bangladesh
Last Test	14 February 2014 v New Zealand
ODI debut (cap 133)	3 October 2000 v Kenya
Last ODI	4 August 2012 v Sri Lanka
ODI shirt no.	34
T20I debut (cap 5)	1 December 2006 v South Africa
Last T20I	2 October 2012 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1999–2006	Baroda
2004	Surrey
2006	Worcestershire
2006–2014	Mumbai
2008, 2011–2013	Royal Challengers Bangalore
2009–2010, 2014	Mumbai Indians
2015–2017	Delhi Daredevils
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 92 200 169 253 Runs scored 1,230 792 2,489 1047 Batting average 11.94 12.00 13.60 12.17 100s/50s 0/3 0/0 0/5 0/0 Top score 75 34* 75 43 Balls bowled 18,785 10,097 34,279 12,745 Wickets 311 282 672 357 Bowling average 32.95 29.44 27.97 29.07 5 wickets in innings 11 1 35 1 10 wickets in match 1 0 8 0 Best bowling 7/87 5/42 9/138 5/42 Catches/stumpings 19/– 43/– 46/– 57/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  India ICC Cricket World Cup Winner 2011 India-Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Runner-up 2003 South Africa-Zimbabwe-Kenya ICC Champions Trophy Winner 2002 Sri Lanka Runner-up 2000 Kenya ACC Asia Cup Winner 2010 Sri Lanka Runner-up 2004 Sri Lanka
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 25 December 2016

Zaheer Khan (born 8 October 1978) is an Indian former professional cricketer who played all forms of the game for the Indian national team from 2000 till 2014. He is a fast-medium left-arm bowler. He was the second-most successful Indian pace bowler in Test cricket, behind Kapil Dev. Zaheer Khan started his domestic career by playing for Baroda. In the early years of his career, Zaheer Khan was known for his hostile seam and pace bowling, especially fast inch-perfect yorkers.

With India, he was a member of the team that was one of the joint-winners of the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy, and one of the key members of the 2011 World Cup winning team, leading the pace attack with 21 wickets in just 9 games. In 2011 he was conferred with the Arjuna Award, India's second highest sporting award by the President of India. Zaheer Khan's career is also noted for recurring injuries, which often interrupted his progress at the international level. That is also the reason Zaheer khan has set up ProSport Fitness & Services, a special rehab & training center in association with Adrian Le Roux and Andrew Leipus. In 2020, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri.

In a bid to improve his bowling, Zaheer Khan moved to England for a short stint with Worcestershire in 2006. A left-arm fast-medium bowler, he was best known for his ability to "move the ball both ways off the wicket and swing the old ball at some pace".^[3] Zaheer Khan excelled in reverse swing with the old ball.^[4][5]

He is praised for his performances on flat subcontinent pitches and the controlling of different types of cricket balls.^[6][7]

Zaheer Khan was selected as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2008. Zaheer Khan announced his retirement from international cricket in October 2015.^[8] He also played for Worcestershire in County Cricket and played for Mumbai, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians in Indian domestic cricket.

Only Muttiah Muralitharan (325) and Shaun Pollock (252) have dismissed more left-hand batsmen than Zaheer Khan, who has gotten the better of southpaws 237 times. He also has the distinct record of dismissing Graeme Smith, Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya and Matthew Hayden – some of the game's most feared left-hand batsmen – over 10 times each in international cricket.