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A skilful left-arm pacer from Afghanistan, Fazalhaq Farooqi understood early in his cricketing journey that standing out would require more than just pace or height—qualities he didn’t naturally possess. Instead, he focused on honing his skills, particularly mastering the art of swinging the ball both ways, which soon became his biggest weapon. Farooqi made his international debut in 2021 at the age of 20 and quickly cemented his place in Afghanistan’s white-ball sides. A quick learner, he impressed immediately with the new ball and then worked diligently to improve his death-bowling skills. During this phase, he benefited greatly from the guidance of former West Indies great Dwayne Bravo, who briefly served as Afghanistan’s fast-bowling consultant and also played alongside Farooqi in various franchise leagues around the world. His rapid rise was evident in 2022, when Farooqi finished as Afghanistan’s leading wicket-taker in T20 Internationals, just a year into his international career. The same year, he made his IPL debut with Sunrisers Hyderabad and began featuring regularly in major T20 leagues globally. At the 2023 ODI World Cup, Farooqi produced a standout performance with a four-wicket haul against Sri Lanka, although his overall impact in the tournament was limited. He more than made up for that in the 2024 T20 World Cup, held in the West Indies and the USA, where he was in outstanding form. Finishing as the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament, Farooqi played a pivotal role in Afghanistan’s historic run to the semifinals, where they were eventually beaten by South Africa. His performances continued to enhance his reputation, and later that year, Rajasthan Royals secured his services for INR 2 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 season.
