Sikandar Raza is a Pakistani-born Zimbabwean cricketer who plays as an all-rounder. He bats right-handed and bowls right-arm off-spin. He made his international debut for Zimbabwe in May 2013 and became the first Zimbabwe player to score a T20I century. He is the current captain of Zimbabwe’s T20I team.
Raza was born in Sialkot, Pakistan, and first wanted to become a fighter pilot, but after failing an eye test, he focused on cricket. He moved to Zimbabwe, where his parents had been living since 2002. He made his first-class debut in 2007 in the Logan Cup for Northerns and later played for Southern Rocks, where he scored strongly in the 2010–11 season.
In 2013, he debuted internationally in white-ball cricket against Bangladesh and India and scored 60 in his first Test against Pakistan. In 2014, he made his first ODI century, scoring 141 against Afghanistan in Bulawayo. He played in the 2015 ODI World Cup and later scored a century against Pakistan in Lahore. He helped Zimbabwe win an ODI series in Sri Lanka in 2016.
Sikandar Raza Records and Achievement
Sikandar Raza made his first-class debut in 2007 and recorded a top score of 146. He achieved his career-best List A score of 80 in January 2011. In 2010, he was the leading run-scorer in the Stanbic Bank T20 Competition and scored 44 in the Metbank Pro40 Championship Final to help Southern Rocks win the title. He also scored 93 off 48 balls for Southern Rocks and shared a 161-run opening stand with Chamu Chibhabha in a major domestic victory.
In franchise cricket, he was selected for Montreal Tigers in the 2018 Global T20 Canada, Tshwane Spartans in the 2018 Mzansi Super League, Chittagong Vikings in the 2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League, Trinbago Knight Riders in the 2020 Caribbean Premier League, Lahore Qalandars in the 2023 PSL draft, and Punjab Kings in the 2023 IPL auction.
On 15 April 2023, he scored 57 off 41 balls for Punjab Kings, becoming the first Zimbabwean player to score a half-century in the IPL. In February 2026, he signed to play for Worcestershire Rapids in the English T20 Blast.
Sikandar Raza Career Stats
Sikandar Raza has played 22 Test matches, scoring 1,434 runs with 1 century and 11 fifties. With the ball, he has taken 40 wickets, with best figures of 7 for 113. He has taken two five-wicket hauls in Tests.
In ODIs, he has played 153 matches and scored 4,476 runs. He has 7 centuries and 24 fifties. As a bowler in ODIs, he has taken 94 wickets, with best figures of 4 for 55, including one four-wicket haul.
In T20 Internationals, Raza has played 130 matches and scored 2,958 runs. He has 1 century and 16 fifties. With the ball in T20Is, he has taken 103 wickets. His best bowling figures are 5 for 18, with two four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul.
| Batting | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Runs | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
| Tests | 22 | 1434 | 1 | 11 | 146 | 17 |
| ODIs | 153 | 4476 | 7 | 24 | 373 | 106 |
| T20Is | 130 | 2958 | 1 | 16 | 227 | 138 |
| Bowling | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Wkts | BBI | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| Tests | 22 | 40 | 7/113 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| ODIs | 153 | 94 | 4/55 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T20Is | 130 | 103 | 5/18 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Sikandar Raza’s Personal Life
Sikandar Raza was born in Sialkot, Pakistan, into a Punjabi-speaking Kashmiri Muslim family. He studied for three years at the Pakistan Air Force Public School, Lower Topa, and wanted to become a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force. However, he could not pursue that career after failing a mandatory vision test.
In 2002, he moved to Zimbabwe with his family. Later, he went to Scotland and completed a bachelor’s degree in software engineering at Glasgow Caledonian University. During the 2006 season, he played for Weirs Cricket Club and scored three T20 centuries. It was during this period in Scotland that he played semi-professional cricket and began to seriously develop his cricket career.
Sikandar Raza Contract
Sikandar Raza has signed with Worcestershire Rapids for the full 2026 T20 Blast season. He joined the club as a replacement for Australian fast bowler Ben Dwarshuis, who was withdrawn from his contract after being picked in the IPL. Raza previously played in the T20 Blast in 2024 for Northamptonshire and also featured in The Hundred for Manchester Originals.
FAQs
Q. When did Sikandar Raza make his first-class debut?
A. Sikandar Raza made his first-class debut on 12 April 2007.
Q. What milestone did Raza achieve in the IPL in 2023?
A. Sikandar Raza became the first Zimbabwean player to score a half-century in the IPL.
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