Zimbabwe’s all-rounder Sikandar Raza is representing Punjab Kings in Indian Premier League 2023. The all-rounder has delivered some terrific performances with both bat and the ball in recent times to earn an IPL contract for himself. Punjab will face Lucknow Super Giants tonight and Raza was the Player of the Match when both teams last faced each other.
Advertisement
Raza wanted to be a fighter pilot in his childhood. He studied at the Pakistan Air Force boarding school for the same. Raza was a talented kid and he was among the 60 students out of 10,000 who were selected. However, during his final examination, he failed the Lens Opacity Test which is very crucial for pilots.
In 2007, Raza started playing cricket at an amateur level in Zimbabwe where he realized his true potential. The year 2021 was a shocker for Raza when an infection in his bone marrow was detected. It was feared that he might not be able to play cricket again but he fought against all odds to make his return.
Sikandar Raza Family
Raza was born on April 24, 1986, in Sialkot (Pakistan). Tasadaq Hussain Raza is Sikandar’s father. Sikandar’s father and his two uncles played cricket in Pakistan but could not make it to the top level. Tasadaq later started his motor parts business. Sikandar’s mother’s name is not known.
Sikandar has one younger brother named Taymoor Raza. In 2002, his family moved to Zimbabwe. Sikandar moved to Scotland (UK) to pursue B.Sc. in Computer Science at Caledonian University in Glasgow. After completing his graduation in 2009, he returned back to Zimbabwe to play domestic cricket.
Raza is married and has two children named Muhammad Aesa and Muhammad Musa. The details about his wife are not available on the public forum.
Sikandar Raza Nationality
Raza was taking huge strides in Zimbabwe cricket but his Pakistani nationality was creating a barrier to his participation in the national team. In 2011, he was awarded the Zimbabwe nationality so that he can represent the nation on the global stage.
View this post on Instagram
In 2014, he stitched a partnership of 224 runs opening partnership with batter Hamilton Masakadza. This is the highest partnership for the first wicket in Zimbabwe’s cricket history.