Ali Raza

Ali Raza has emerged from Nankana Sahib carrying the weight of expectation of a region already famous for producing elite fast bowlers—the same heartland that gave the world Mohammad Asif and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan. Trained at the prestigious Rana Naved Cricket Academy, Raza first grabbed global attention at the 2024 ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup in South Africa.

At just 15 years old, he produced a spellbinding 4/34 in a nail-biting semi-final against Australia in Benoni, dismantling their lineup with scorching yorkers. He backed that up with composure well beyond his years, leading the attack in the final of the 2025 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup and claiming 4 for 42 against India to fire Pakistan to the continental title. This consistent dominance quickly made him the automatic spearhead of Pakistan's pace battery across successive Under-19 cycles.

His step up to senior cricket has been just as seamless. Raza made his List A debut for the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and his first-class bow for Sialkot in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, both in 2024. He immediately proved he belonged by taking a stunning 7 for 48 in the second innings of the tournament final, securing a ten-wicket match haul in just his second red-ball match.

On the franchise stage, Peshawar Zalmi snapped him up under their emerging category in the PSL. He made an instant mark before permanently etching his name into the record books in the 2026 season by claiming a spectacular hat-trick against Karachi Kings, finishing with figures of 4/41. In doing so, he became the youngest bowler in PSL history to take a hat-trick.

His meteoric rise was rewarded with a senior call-up to the national side, earning selection in the Pakistan squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. His rise has already reached far beyond Pakistan's borders as well, earning him coveted overseas franchise selections with the Chittagong Kings in the BPL and the Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10, marking the teenager as a genuine generational talent.