Pakistan have done it again, the nation that is well-renowned for producing some of the most legendary bowlers in world cricket have another rare gem in their ranks.
20-year-old Ihsanullah who hails from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district has taken the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023 by storm.
The young speedster is only taking wickets, but he is also proving to be too hot to handle for opposition bowlers as Multan Sultans seem to have unearthed a gem.
Despite it being early days in his career, Ihsanullah has lofty ambitions, the pacer wants to surpass Umran Malik’s tally of 156kph as he wants to near the 160 mark and also he wishes to claim Virat Kohli’s one day.
Ihsanullah rose to fame when he dismissed former Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed at a delivery which was bowled at 150.4 km/hr. He would go on to claim five wickets in the match against Quetta Gladiators giving away just 12 runs in his spell.
In the days since, he has added a total of 12 wickets to his tally in the ongoing PSL 2023 season, helping the Sultans sit at the top of the pile after five matches.
Ihsanullah is bowling with serious heat #HBLPSL8 | #SabSitarayHumaray | #MSvQG pic.twitter.com/TnLTbRgVeu— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 15, 2023
Ihsanullah, who has caught the eye of Former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, was added to Pakistan’s Test squad against New Zealand after impressing the interim selection committee member Razzaq.
He has sent a warning to Umran Malik, as he hopes to bowl at speeds over 160kph.
“Inshallah, koshish karunga. Umran Malik ne jo 157kph pe ball kiya hai, main koshish karunga uss se upar karunga. Umran Malik se upar karunga, 160 karunga. (God willing, I will try. Umran Malik had recorded 157kph, I will try to break his record. I will be aiming for the 160kph mark)," said Ihsanullah.
When quizzed about which dream batter he’d like to dismiss, the pacer named Virat Kohli. “Virat Kohli ko out karke khushi hogi (I will be glad if I get Virat Kohli out)," he replied.
I will break the record of indian pacer Umran Malik and also bowl at 160 kmphIt was a pleasure for me to get @imVkohliWicket #Ihsanullah #HBLPSL8 pic.twitter.com/SGzJWHG8DZ— Hamza Ijaz (@HamzaEjaz367) February 22, 2023
Razzaq meanwhile has backed the protege to go past the 160kph mark and fans across the border would certainly be hoping for his dream to come true soon.
Meanwhile, the Sultans led by a Man of the Match performance from their skipper Mohammad Rizwan sealed a thrilling 3-run victory over Karachi Kings to further consolidate their lead at the top of PSL 2023 standings.
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