Imran Khalid

Imran Khalid (born 29 December 1982) is a Pakistani former cricketer. A left-handed batsman and slow left-arm orthodox bowler, he was born in Kot Radha Kishan, Punjab.¹² He played domestic cricket for Faisalabad, Faisalabad Wolves, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), Punjab, Islamabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Kalabagan Krira Chakra, and represented Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League.²

Khalid began his first-class career with Faisalabad in the 2004–05 season and later spent much of his career with SNGPL.²³ In September 2005, he was part of the Faisalabad Wolves side that won the International 20:20 Club Championship at Grace Road, Leicester. In the final against Chilaw Marians Cricket Club, he took 1 for 27 and was 7 not out as Faisalabad won by five wickets.⁴

Khalid made two centuries in first-class cricket and two in List A cricket, with career-best scores of 113 and 108 respectively.¹ In October 2011, he made an unbeaten 101 for SNGPL against Hyderabad in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division Two at the Niaz Stadium, helping his side reach 461 for 7 and take control of the match.⁵ He also contributed as a lower-order batsman in limited-overs cricket; in January 2015, he took 4 for 40 and then made an unbeaten 47 in an unbroken stand with Hussain Talat as SNGPL beat Karachi Dolphins in the Gold Cup.⁶

As a bowler, Khalid took nine five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket match in first-class cricket.¹ In January 2014, he claimed a five-wicket haul for SNGPL against WAPDA in the President’s Trophy, giving his side a first-innings lead.⁷ Later that year, in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Gold League, he took 4 for 17 and 5 for 43 against WAPDA at Karachi as SNGPL won by eight wickets.⁸⁹ In November 2018, he returned 4 for 28 and 5 for 25 against Lahore Blues, finishing with match figures of 9 for 53 in SNGPL's innings-and-28-run win.¹⁰¹¹

Khalid was selected by Islamabad United for the inaugural Pakistan Super League in 2016.³ He took 10 wickets in 12 PSL matches for the franchise, with best figures of 4 for 20.¹² His best PSL performance came in the 2016 qualifying final against Peshawar Zalmi in Dubai, when his four-wicket haul helped bowl Peshawar out for 126 after Sharjeel Khan's century had taken Islamabad to 176 for 3.¹²¹³

In the 2017–18 National T20 Cup, Khalid hit a last-ball six against Peshawar to give Faisalabad a five-wicket win and take the side into the semi-finals.¹⁴¹⁵ He also took 2 for 36 earlier in the match.¹⁴ By the end of his senior career, Khalid had taken 230 wickets and scored 2,171 runs in 72 first-class matches, taken 133 wickets and scored 1,505 runs in List A cricket, and taken 88 wickets in 93 Twenty20 matches.¹