Hazratullah Zazai is a powerful left-handed opening batter from Afghanistan who burst onto the scene with explosive strokeplay that drew immediate comparisons to some of the game’s greatest hitters. The 28-year-old from Paktia, known locally as “Afghan Gayle”, made headlines in 2018 by striking back-to-back half-centuries in his second and third T20Is to sweep Ireland, before achieving the rare feat of hitting six sixes in an over during the Afghanistan Premier League—joining an elite club that includes Yuvraj Singh and Garry Sobers. Four months later, he smashed an unbeaten 162 off 62 balls to power Afghanistan to 278 for 3, then the highest total in T20 cricket. His tape-tennis ball origins in Kabul gave him a unique hitting ability, and his towering presence at the crease made him a nightmare for bowlers on his day. While his international career has had its ups and downs, including injuries and periods out of the side, Zazai remains one of the most destructive T20 batters Afghanistan has produced, with a strike rate that reflects his fearless approach to the shortest format.
| Batting & Fielding | ||||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
| ODIs | 16 | 16 | 0 | 361 | 67 | 22.56 | 409 | 88.26 | 0 | 2 | 38 | 17 | 3 | 0 |
| T20Is | 45 | 45 | 3 | 1160 | 162* | 27.61 | 874 | 132.72 | 1 | 3 | 110 | 66 | 7 | 0 |
| FC | 17 | 33 | 1 | 1246 | 133 | 38.93 | 1338 | 93.12 | 3 | 8 | 153 | 44 | 22 | 0 |
| List A | 44 | 44 | 1 | 1132 | 118 | 26.32 | 1073 | 105.49 | 2 | 4 | 137 | 43 | 12 | 0 |
| T20s | 152 | 152 | 6 | 3686 | 162* | 25.24 | 2633 | 139.99 | 4 | 18 | 381 | 203 | 44 | 0 |
| Bowling | ||||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w | |
| ODIs | 16 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| T20Is | 45 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FC | 17 | 6 | 82 | 68 | 3 | 1/10 | 1/10 | 22.66 | 4.97 | 27.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| List A | 44 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| T20s | 152 | 1 | 12 | 19 | 1 | 1/19 | 1/19 | 19.00 | 9.50 | 12.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
He is a left-handed opening batter known for his explosive power-hitting and ability to dominate bowlers from the very first ball.
He hit six sixes in an over in Sharjah in October 2018, becoming the sixth batter in competitive cricket and third in T20s to achieve the feat, joining Yuvraj Singh and Garry Sobers.
He smashed an unbeaten 162 off 62 balls against Ireland in Dehradun in 2019, powering Afghanistan to 278 for 3, then the highest total in T20 cricket.
He is locally known as "Afghan Gayle" due to his powerful hitting style reminiscent of Chris Gayle.
He matched Yuvraj Singh and Chris Gayle for the fastest T20 fifty, reaching the milestone off just 12 balls.
He has been part of various franchise teams but is yet to make a significant mark in the IPL.
He played in the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2022 Asia T20 Cup, and was part of Afghanistan's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup where they reached the semi-finals for the first time.
He was born on March 23, 1998, in Paktia, making him 28 years old.
