Who Is Arafat Minhas? Pakistan's Rising All-Rounder Making ODI Debut vs Australia

Arafat Minhas. [Source - AFP]

In a significant development for Pakistan, Arafat Minhas has made his ODI debut in the first ODI of the three-match series against Australia at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday. His inclusion marks another step in Pakistan's efforts to build a strong and versatile white-ball squad for the future.

The debut has generated early excitement among fans as Pakistan continue to test their bench strength and introduce emerging talent at the international level. With Minhas now becoming Pakistan's newest ODI international, many supporters will be eager to learn more about the all-rounder and the journey that brought him to this stage.

Meet Arafat Minhas- Pakistan's all-round prospect handed ODI debut vs Australia

Arafat Minhas is a 21-year-old Pakistani all-rounder who bats left-handed and bowls left-arm orthodox spin. Born on January 2, 2005, in Multan, Punjab, he has emerged as one of the country's most highly rated young cricketers through age-group cricket.

Minhas comes from a cricketing background, with his father Kashif Minhas, having played at the U19 level. He rose through the ranks by excelling in domestic and youth cricket, earning recognition for his performances in Pakistan's U19 setup.

While making his ODI debut in the three-match series against Australia, Minhas is no stranger to international cricket. He made his T20I debut in 2023 and has featured in four matches, scoring 60 runs and claiming four wickets.

Arafat Minhas Domestic Record

Arafat Minhas first came into notice in Pakistan domestic cricket through age-group levels, where he regularly impressed in U13, U16 and U19 cricket with his left-arm spin and attacking batting style.

He led Gwadar Sharks in the Pakistan Junior League 2022 and was named in the Team of the Tournament as captain, showing strong leadership skills along with consistent all-round performances throughout the competition.

Arafat Minhas Stats

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Minhas moved into senior domestic cricket with his List A debut for Southern Punjab in the Pakistan Cup 2022–23. He then made his PSL debut for Karachi Kings, stepping into top-level franchise cricket.

In PSL 2026, Arafat Minhas played for Multan Sultans and showed great potential, taking 9 wickets and scoring 144 runs at a strike-rate of 169.41, proving his value as a finishing all-rounder and paving his way to ODI debut now.

Arafat Minhas is part of Pakistan’s Next-Gen White-Ball Vision

Arafat Minhas represents the beginning of a new wave of talent for Pakistan cricket. With his debut in the first ODI of the three-match series against Australia, he brings the X-factor energy selectors are looking for.

His family has a strong cricketing background, with brother Sameer Minhas starring for Pakistan in the recently concluded U19 World Cup. Pakistan is clearly building a pool of emerging players to strengthen the squad for future global tournaments.

As Pakistan prepares for the 2027 ODI World Cup, Minhas is expected to play a role similar to Mohammad Nawaz in white-ball cricket, contributing both with bat and ball while providing balance to the team’s all-round options.

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