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Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb Ur Rahman celebrating
Mujeeb Ur Rahman celebrating Image: Wikimedia Commons. Afghanistan Cricket Board / CC BY 3.0

Mujeeb Ur Rahman Zadran (Pashto: مجیب الرحمن ځدراڼ; born 28 March 2001) is an Afghan cricketer who represents the Afghanistan national cricket team. A right-arm off-spin bowler, he came to international prominence in early 2018, when, at the age of 16 years and 325 days, he became the youngest player to take a five-wicket haul in a One Day International, just two months after his international debut.

Key facts

Full name Mujeeb Ur Rahman Zadran
Born 28 March 2001
Nationality Afghan
Role Cricketer
National team Afghanistan
Notable record Youngest player to take a five-wicket haul in an ODI (16 years, 325 days)
Test debut June 2018, vs India (Afghanistan's inaugural Test)
Family Nephew of Afghan international cricketer Noor Ali Zadran

Background

Mujeeb belongs to the Zadran family, which has produced multiple cricketers of note in Afghanistan. His uncle, Noor Ali Zadran, is also an Afghan international cricketer, and was an established member of the senior side by the time Mujeeb began his own career.

Career

Early international career

Mujeeb broke into the Afghanistan senior side as a teenager. Within two months of making his international debut, he claimed a five-wicket haul in an ODI at the age of 16 years and 325 days, the youngest age at which any player has achieved the feat in the format.

Test debut

In June 2018, Mujeeb was named in Afghanistan's playing eleven for the country's first ever Test match, played against India. He was thus one of the eleven cricketers to feature in this historic fixture. The match also marked his first-class debut. Afghanistan were heavily defeated, with the match ending inside two days. Mujeeb scored 15 and 3 in the two innings and took one wicket while conceding 75 runs.

Significance

Mujeeb's emergence reflected Afghanistan's rapid rise in international cricket during the late 2010s, a period in which the country gained Test status and began producing young spinners with global recognition. His record-breaking five-wicket haul as a teenager, combined with his selection for Afghanistan's inaugural Test, placed him among the notable figures of the country's early Test-era cricket history.

References