He has played only one T20I match so far.
Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin highlighted emerging wicketkeeper-batter Khawaja Nafay as a player to watch for after the Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 squad was revealed.
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As soon as the T20 World Cup 2026 squad was out, Ravichandran Ashwin took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle, creating hype around 23-year-old Khawaja Nafay.
“This KM Nafay is a player to keep an eye on in this T20 World Cup 2026,” Ashwin wrote on the social media platform.
This surprising inclusion of the young player leaves out veteran wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, who has more than 3,400 runs in 100 outings.
The right-handed batter has featured in just one T20I, which came against Sri Lanka. Coming at No.6, the glovesman made a 15-ball 26 with a boundary and a six. He is expected to have more game time against Australia at home, lined up before the T20 World Cup 2026. The first of three T20Is will begin on January 29.
Nafay’s domestic stats are promising for T20 cricket, amassing 714 runs in 33 matches with an average of 23.80 and a strike rate of 133.95, including seven fifties. He boasts a decent record in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as well. In 12 PSL games, he has scored 234 runs at an average of 23.40 and 130 SR, while eight BPL games saw him hammer 214 runs at 26.75 average and 135.44 strike rate.
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Mohammad Rizwan last played in the 20-over format on December 13, 2024, in South Africa. Since then, the Pakistan management has chosen to leave him out of the T20I line-up due to his poor strike rate and inconsistency. He also did not make the squad for the upcoming three-match series against Australia. In 20 innings during 2024, the opener scored 617 runs, with five half-centuries, at a disappointing strike rate of 117.3.
Mohammad Rizwan had a big opportunity to impress the selectors during his first Big Bash League (BBL) stint with the Melbourne Renegades. However, he had an unrewarding BBL 2025, managing 187 runs in 10 matches at an abysmal strike rate of 102.74.
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