Fazalhaq Farooqi delivered a record-breaking performance for his team in the UAE T20 league opener, claiming a sensational 5/16 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
With a haul of 5/16, Fazalhaq Farooqi recorded the best bowling figures in the league's history, surpassing David Wiese's 5/20 in 2023.
Fazalhaq Farooqi’s career best bowling figures are 5/9, which he managed against Uganda during the T20 World Cup last year.
The 24-year-old Afghan fast bowler, member of the Rajasthan Royals IPL 2025 squad, was introduced into the attack in the fourth over and immediately made an impact by dismissing opener Shai Hope.
The opposition were going strong at 107/3 in 16 overs on a low-scoring wicket. Farooqi then outfoxed the well-set Brandon McMullen, who was batting on 58, with a slower ball to bring his team back into the contest.
He ended his spell with three wickets in the penultimate over, cleaning up Rovman Powell with an inswinging beauty on the first ball before sending back Dasun Shanaka and Olly Stone to complete his fifer in the same over.
“Farooqi continues to show his class,” team captain Nicholas Pooran said after the match. “The wicket comes with its challenges, we have to find ways to get in. He (Farooqi) has been doing it for a while now - looking forward to more performances (like that).”
Farooqi has been a consistent performer for Afghanistan in international cricket, picking up 54 wickets in 43 T20Is. He was also instrumental in the Afghanistan cricket team’s run to the T20 World Cup semi-finals last year.
In the Indian Premier League, Farooqi featured for Sunrisers Hyderabad across the last two seasons, claiming six wickets in seven matches.