Zaheer Khan
The left-arm swing king who led India's pace attack to World Cup glory.
Zaheer Khan (born 8 October 1978) is an Indian former professional cricketer who played all formats of the game for the Indian national team from 2000 till 2014. A left-arm fast-medium bowler known for his ability to 'move the ball both ways off the wicket and swing the old ball at some pace', he was known for reverse swing with the old ball. He is the second-most successful Indian pace bowler (tied with Ishant Sharma) in Test cricket, behind Kapil Dev.
- Role
- Left-arm Fast Bowler
- Affiliation
- Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Worcestershire
- Status
- Retired from Playing (October 2015)
- Key Contribution
- Reverse swing specialist; 21 wickets in 9 games during 2011 World Cup
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Khan started his domestic career by playing for Baroda. He played for Worcestershire in County Cricket and played for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. He was the former mentor of the IPL team Lucknow Super Giants for the 2025 edition. He announced his retirement from international cricket in October 2015.
In Their Own Story
The 2011 World Cup stands as the defining chapter of Khan's international legacy. Having worked on a new delivery for a year, he unveiled the knuckle ball to great effect during the tournament. He used this weapon to secure crucial wickets against England's Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood, West Indies' Devon Smith, and Australia's Michael Hussey in the Quarter Final. His discipline was absolute; despite perfecting the ball, he purposely withheld it from matches prior to the World Cup to maximize its impact. In the final stretch of his career, Khan set a world record for the highest Test score by a number 11 with 75 against Bangladesh in 2004, partnering with Sachin Tendulkar to amass 133 runs for the tenth wicket. Although he sustained recurring injuries that often interrupted his progress, leading him to establish ProSport Fitness & Services with Adrian Le Roux and Andrew Leipus, his resilience defined his era. He retired from international cricket in October 2015 after being named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2008.
Reader's Guide
Khan holds the record for dismissing the third-most number of left-handed batsmen (237), after Muttiah Muralitharan (325), and Shaun Pollock (252). He also has the distinct record of dismissing Graeme Smith, Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya and Matthew Hayden over 10 times each in international cricket. In Tests, he averaged around 36 at home and 31 away from home. With India, he was a member of the team that was one of the joint-winners of the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy, and one of the key members of the 2011 World Cup winning team, leading the pace attack with 21 wickets in just 9 games.
Did You Know?
- He was conferred with the Arjuna Award in 2011.
- He was selected as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2008.
- He set up ProSport Fitness & Services, a rehabilitation & training center, due to recurring injuries.
- He was the first bowler to bowl the knuckle ball in international cricket, introduced during the 2011 World Cup.
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