Seventeen-year-old fast bowler Ali Raza has emerged as one of the standout performers for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025. He made his debut in the PSL 2025 with a match against Quetta Gladiators on April 12, 2025.
Ali Raza has been selected again as a part of the Peshawar Zalmi squad for the eleventh season of the PSL, taking place this year, starting from March.
Breakthrough performance
Zalmi secured their first win of the tournament with a dominant victory over Multan Sultans in the previous season of PSL, which was possible just because of Raza’s spell of four wickets for 21 runs. The performance made him the team’s leading wicket-taker for the season.
Ali Raza’s spell disrupted Multan’s batting line-up early and set the tone for a one-sided contest. Zalmi went on to win the match held on April 19, 2025, by 120 runs, one of the largest margins in PSL history.
From youth cricket to the PSL
Raza was born on 18 March 2008 in Nankana Sahib. He first came into the spotlight through Pakistan’s Under-19 set-up, making his debut against Bangladesh Under-19s in 2022.
He was selected for the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2023-24 at just 15. During the tournament, he secured four wickets against Australia and finished with nine wickets overall.
Later in 2024, he continued his progress with strong performances in the Under-19 Asia Cup, including a notable spell against India.
Rise in domestic cricket
Raza made his List A debut for WAPDA in April 2024 and earned his first-class cap for Sialkot later that year. He also played his first T20 match for the Panthers in December.
His form earned him contracts beyond Pakistan, including a stint with Chittagong Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League.
So far, Raza has taken 32 first-class wickets, 14 in List A cricket and nine in the T20 matches. In youth internationals, he has claimed 26 wickets in 11 matches.
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