Aasif Sheikh (Nepali: आसिफ शेख; born 22 June 2001) is a Nepalese cricketer, who plays as right-handed wicket-keeper-batsman.[1] He made his debut for Nepal against the Netherlands in a Twenty20 International in April 2021.[2] He is renowned for his classical batting style. He is the only Nepalese player with over 10 ODI cricket half-centuries, with 12 to be precise.[3]
![]() Aasif Sheikh in 2023. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | Birgunj, Nepal | 22 June 2001|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | Wicket-keeper And Second Opening batsman - 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Relations | Aarif Sheikh (brother) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National side |
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ODI debut (cap 24) | 7 September 2021 v PNG | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last ODI | 18 february 2024 v Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
T20I debut (cap 32) | 17 April 2021 v Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last T20I | 16 June 2024 v Bangladesh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
T20I shirt no. | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESNPcricinfo,, 22 June 2024 |
He represents the Armed Police Force Club of the Prime minister domestic cup and Pokhara Paltan of the Pokhara Premier League.[4]
Early Domestic career & U-19
editAasif plays for Panchakanya Tej in the Everest Premier League. He scored an unbeaten 111 runs in the final of the 2016 Everest Premier League[5] helping his team to win the maiden EPL title.[6] He was the leading run-scorer of the tournament, where he scored 202 runs in six matches at an average of 44.00.[7]
He led the Nepalese Under-19 team in the 2018 Quadrangular Cricket Tournament in India.[8] Later, he was named the skipper of the Nepal national under-19 cricket team for the 2018 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup.[9] He also played for the Under-19 side in the 2019 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup.[10]
International career
editAfter being the second highest scorer of the tournament in the 2021 Prime Minister Cup, where he scored 206 runs in five innings at an average of 41.20, he was selected in the 18-member national team for the closed camps for the T20I series against Qatar.[11][12] However, the tour was eventually postponed due to the increasing COVID-19 cases in Qatar.[13]
Aasif was subsequently selected in the 15-member national squad for the 2020–21 Nepal Tri-Nation Series[14] and made his T20I debut against Netherlands.[15] He scored an unbeaten half-century and put up a record first-wicket partnership of 116 runs for Nepal in T20Is[16] guiding his team to a 9-wicket victory.[17] He scored 42 runs in the second match of the series against Malaysia and shared another century stand with a fellow opener Kushal Bhurtel.[18][19] He scored 154 runs in the series at an average of 38.50 and a strike-rate of 138.73.[20]
In August 2021, Aasif was named in Nepal's One Day International (ODI) squad for their series against Papua New Guinea in Oman, and their squad for round six of the 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 tournament, also in Oman.[21] He made his ODI debut on 7 September 2021, for Nepal against Papua New Guinea.[22]
In March 2023, Sheikh scored his first century in ODIs during a match against Papua New Guinea.[23]
In May 2024, he was named in Nepal's squad for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament.[24]
Records and Milestones
editODI
Honours
editHe was named as the recipient of the 2022 ICC Spirit of Cricket Award at the 2022 ICC Awards in recognition of his act on his decision not to runout Irish player Andy McBrine during a T20I fixture in February 2022 between Ireland and Nepal which was played as a part of the Quadrangular series held in Oman.[27][28] Mcbrine collided with the bowler and fell down halfway up the pitch. Sheikh realizes that and allows Mcbrine to complete the run. Sheikh subsequently became the first player from Nepal to win the ICC's Spirit of Cricket Award.[29]
References
edit- ^ "Aasif Sheikh". Cricinfo. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "Nepal Tri-Nation T20I Series: Nepal v Netherlands at Kirtipur, Apr 17, 2021 - Cricket Scorecard - ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ Staff, cricnepal (4 September 2023). "Aasif Sheikh becomes the first Nepalese batter to score a half-century in Asia Cup". cricnepal.com. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ "Aasif Sheikh". Cricnepal. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- ^ "Everest Premier League 2016: Panchakanya Tej v Colors X-Factors at Kirtipur, Oct 3, 2016 - Cricket Scorecard - ESPN Cricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
- ^ "Aasif Sheikh hits ton as Panchakanya Tej win maiden EPL title". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
- ^ "Everest Premier League 2016 - Stats: Most Runs - ESPN Cricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
- ^ "Aasif Sheikh to lead Nepali U-19 team". cricketingnepal. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ^ "Four changes in Nepali squad". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- ^ "Aasif, Jora make return in U-19 squad for Asia Cup". myRepública. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ "Dipendra to lead new-look Nepali national side in Qatar". cricketingnepal. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ "Prime Minister Cup 2021 - Stats: Most Runs - ESPN Cricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ "Nepal Tour to Qatar Postponed". Emerging cricket. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ "Alam, Sheikh included in the final squad of Tri-National Series". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- ^ "Full Scorecard of Netherlands vs Nepal 1st Match 2021 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ^ "Nepal T20I Record: Highest partnerships by wicket". Cricinfo. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "Nepal clinches comfortable victory over visiting Netherlands in opening match of Tri-Nation T20 Series". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "Nepal Tri-Nation T20I Series: Nepal v Malaysia at Kirtipur, Apr 19, 2021 - Cricket Scorecard - ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ "Openers Bhurtel, Sheikh guide Nepal to emphatic win". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ "Nepal Tri-Nation T20I Series 2021 - Stats: Most Runs - ESPN Cricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ "Nepal announces squad for the CWCL2 series". Emerging Cricket. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ "1st ODI, Al Amerat, Sep 7 2021, Nepal v Papua New Guinea ODI Series". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
- ^ "Aasif Sheikh's maiden century helps Nepal set 298-run target for PNG". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
- ^ "Nepal has announced their Squad for T20 World Cup". ScoreWaves. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ "ODI matches | All-round records | 200 runs and 10 wicketkeeping dismissals in a series". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ "ODI matches | Batting records | Most runs in a series by a wicketkeeper". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ "Nepal WK Aasif Sheikh named ICC Spirit of Cricket Award 2022 recipient for not running out Andy McBrine". The Indian Express. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ^ "Nepali wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh bags ICC Spirit of Cricket Award". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ^ "Winner of ICC Spirit of Cricket Award 2022 revealed". www.icc-cricket.com. Retrieved 28 January 2023.