Before yesterday, the name ‘Khawaja Nafay’ resonated primarily within the realm of internet sensations, with his club cricket exploits capturing the attention of avid cricket enthusiasts.
However, during the clash between Quetta Gladiators and Lahore Qalandars in PSL 9 Nafay truly announced himself on the grand stage.
In just his second innings for the Gladiators, Nafay exhibited remarkable confidence against the formidable pace attack of the Qalandars.
Undeterred by the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, Nafay showcased his skill with three sixes and four boundaries.
Nafay, you beauty! 💫
Quick off the blocks as he hammers two massive hits 💥#HBLPSL9 | #KhulKeKhel | #LQvQG pic.twitter.com/nKL3ZVOGMm
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 19, 2024
He finished the match in style with a flick to Zaman Khan that sailed past fine leg boundary for the winning runs with five balls to spare. In a thrilling chase of 188, Nafay scored an unbeaten 60 off 31 balls with only one dot ball during the innings.
Khawaja Nafay is the first batter in PSL history to bat just one dot ball in an innings of more than 30 balls. (As mentioned in the Pavilion at A Sports)
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) February 19, 2024
Notably, at just 22 years old, Nafay found himself in the spotlight after being picked by the Gladiators in the PSL Draft. Gladiators are known for their keen eye for talent, especially from Karachi and hailing from Orangi Town in Karachi, Nafay was a fitting discovery for the franchise.
Sarfaraz Ahmed "Khawaja Nafay was picked for BPL last year after his videos appeared on Facebook and despite him having not played for any region in Pakistan. It was a huge achievement. He's a talent and if such a player gets opportunities he can do well for Pakistan" #PSL2024
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) February 19, 2024
Humble beginnings
Khawaja Nafay was playing club cricket in Karachi before, however, his batting exploits first caught the eye of cricketing fanatics during the televised Ramadan tournaments in Karachi.
Having also represented the Overseas Warriors in the Kashmir Premier League (KPL), Nafay ventured into the international cricketing arena with a stint in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) for Chattogram Challengers.
Look who is coming! 🤘🤘
Its Khawaja Nafay 💥#ctgchallengers #Born2Win pic.twitter.com/he1Na9icAA— Chattogram Challengers (@ctgchallengers) January 2, 2023
Although his impact there was fleeting, his fans eagerly awaited his performance on the PSL stage and yesterday he treated the fans with his batting prowess.
Khawaja Nafay receives praise from cricket fraternity
Nafay’s stellar performance reverberated across social media platforms, drawing fans and cricketing luminaries accolades.
Well played @nafay__k 👏 The hardwork of Liaquat Khan and his Student Khawaja Nafay has came off 👏🏼
The consistency of years has payed off MashaAllah! #PSL9 pic.twitter.com/Dy90uyIHxc— Mir Hamza (@mirhamza_k) February 19, 2024
Khawaja Nafay has played a breakthrough innings today. Senior partners dropping off around him. Shaheen & Haris running in hard. He kept his composure. Played some breathtaking strokes. And most importantly, got Quetta home. A serious talent… #HBLPSL9 pic.twitter.com/ma4TFdbSBh
— Aatif Nawaz (@AatifNawaz) February 19, 2024
Excellent game from Quetta Gladiators, with Khawaja Nafay standing out. He truly seems like a future star.
Together as team Qalandars, we will bounce back, in sha Allah.
— Shaheen Shah Afridi (@iShaheenAfridi) February 19, 2024
Khawaja Nafay who scores 60*(31) today, his maiden T20 fifty. His knock:-
1 1 1 1 1 1 6 1 6 . 2 4 2 2 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 1 6 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 4Also faced only 1 dot ball. The ONLY player to face 0-1 dot balls, while facing 30+ balls in any franchise league innings.
Sarfaraz Ahmed… pic.twitter.com/bFSiAbxT0e
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) February 19, 2024
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