Sahibzada Farhan

Sahibzada Farhan was born in Charsadda, a small city in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Known for his aggressive style at the top of the order, Farhan is not known for elaborate footwork but instead relies heavily on his hand-eye coordination to take the bowlers on. Interestingly, Farhan did not begin his cricketing journey as a batter. He initially started out as a pace bowler before switching to batting on the advice of his coach, a move that would eventually define his career.

His professional cricket journey began in 2013, and he gradually worked his way through Pakistan's domestic circuit while representing Peshawar. Consistent performances in domestic cricket earned him his maiden T20I cap for Pakistan against Australia in 2018. However, after playing just three matches, he was dropped from the side and did not return for several years. Around the same time, Farhan joined Islamabad United as an emerging player in the Pakistan Super League in 2018.

An impressive showing in the 2021 National T20 Cup once again put him in contention for a national comeback, but the call-up did not come immediately. Undeterred, Farhan continued to pile on runs in domestic cricket, particularly in the National T20 Cup, while also representing Pakistan A during this period. His persistence eventually paid off when he found his way back into the T20I setup in 2024. However, the return proved short-lived as he was once again dropped after failing to make the most of the opportunities that came his way.

The year 2025 proved to be a breakthrough for Farhan. He amassed a mountain of runs in the National T20 Cup and followed it up with strong performances in the PSL, which helped him secure his place in the side in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. While his performances for Pakistan upon returning to the national side were somewhat inconsistent, his domestic exploits had firmly put him back in the reckoning.

In what turned out to be a disappointing 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup for Pakistan, Farhan emerged as the silver lining. He amassed 383 runs and went past Virat Kohli for the most runs in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. Farhan also became the first batter to score two centuries in a single edition of the T20 World Cup, reaching the milestone against Namibia and Sri Lanka. After his heroics at the T20 World Cup, he earned his maiden ODI cap during Pakistan's tour of Bangladesh in March 2026.

Farhan continued his rich form across domestic and franchise cricket in mid-2026, representing Multan Sultans in the PSL, where he registered his ninth career T20 century, before participating in the Lanka Premier League for Dambulla Sixers and domestic List A tournaments for Pakistan Blues. Recognizing his remarkable rise, consistency, and leadership qualities, the Pakistan Cricket Board named Farhan as the captain of the national men's squad for the 2026 Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.