Ibrahim Zadran Profile, Career & Stats

In an Afghanistan side filled with power-hitters and stroke makers, Zadran has a tight technique and an even stronger temperament, which makes him an especially promising prospect in the longest format.

The Khost-born made his international debut after just a year of announcing himself in the domestic circuit. He was picked in the Afghanistan senior squad for the one-off Test series against Bangladesh. He shone on his debut, where his 87 off 208 balls helped fashion a 224-run victory in September 2019. 

The following month, Zadran made his ODI debut against the West Indies, but he failed on that occasion, scoring just 2, which contributed to a defeat.

Having impressed everyone in the longer formats, Zadran was named in the squad for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. A memorable tournament ended with Zadran leading the scoring charts for Afghanistan with 240 runs in the prestigious tournament.

By the time Afghanistan entered 2022, the cricketing world had begun to take serious note of him. He produced one of his most important innings against Zimbabwe in Harare, scoring his maiden ODI century, 120 not out in a chase of 229. That knock was a masterclass in pacing an innings. He absorbed pressure, rotated strike against the spinners, and only shifted gears when the finish line was near. Afghanistan won the game comfortably, and Zadran was named Player of the Match. Suddenly, Afghanistan had not just a promising youngster but a reliable ODI opener who could win games in conditions where their flamboyant hitters often faltered.

His Test credentials also strengthened. In a two-Test series against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi in March 2021, he followed up a gritty 76 in the first innings with a patient 55 in the second, proving that his debut against Bangladesh in 2019 was no fluke. His ability to occupy the crease, leave deliveries with confidence, and build innings against both pace and spin made him a rare asset in Afghan cricket. For a team still learning the rhythms of Test match batting, Zadran was a vital building block.

The T20 format, however, posed its own challenges. For much of 2021 and 2022, Ibrahim was considered more suited to Tests and ODIs, with his strike rate hovering in the mid-110s in T20Is. Yet, he showed glimpses of adaptation.

The real breakout, however, arrived in 2023. Afghanistan was preparing for the ODI World Cup in India, and Ibrahim Zadran emerged as their most reliable batter in the lead-up. In a bilateral series against Sri Lanka, he hammered 162 runs across three games, including a sublime 106 in Pallekele.

In the 2023 World Cup, Ibrahim became the face of Afghanistan’s batting. Opening the innings, he provided structure in a campaign that turned into the greatest in Afghanistan’s cricketing history. In eight matches, he amassed 361 runs at an average of 51.57, including a career-defining 129 not out against Sri Lanka in Pune. He followed that with another half-century against Pakistan, steering Afghanistan to a historic chase of 283 in Chennai.

The next major chapter was the 2024 T20 World Cup, held in the West Indies and the USA. Critics wondered whether Ibrahim’s methodical style could succeed on the fast-paced global T20 stage. He silenced doubts with a brilliant 73 not out off 51 balls against Papua New Guinea in Florida, anchoring a tricky chase. By the end of the tournament, he had scored 178 runs at a strike rate of 124, consolidating his place as a three-format player.

Looking ahead, his challenge will be sustaining this trajectory. The opposition has started to plan for him, setting fields to cut off his favourite strokes, testing his patience with short-pitched bowling. If he can add a layer of aggression to his game, the ability to turn a solid 50 into a match-winning 90 at a higher strike rate, he could transform from Afghanistan’s anchor into one of world cricket’s most feared openers.

(As of September 2025)