ISLAMABAD: Muhammad Nawaz, the player with multiple talents, has led the T20 performance charts of Pakistan in 2025 by delivering an excellent all-round performance throughout the year.
The 31-year-old left-arm spinner and left-handed batsman from Rawalpindi repaid the trust white-ball head coach Mike Hesson had in him, especially in the shortest format. Nawaz continued to outshine his teammates and became Pakistan’s best T20 player of the year.
In July 2025, Nawaz was the Player of the Series by taking 7 wickets at an average of 21.52 against the West Indies in Florida.
One month later, in August 2025, he was the absolute leader at the Pakistan-Afghanistan-UAE tri-series in Sharjah as he made 120 runs and took 10 wickets in five matches – obviously, the Player of the Series award once again.
In 2025 third time Nawaz got the Player of the Series title when the tri-series matches between Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe were held in Rawalpindi in November and he took 10 wickets and scored 52 runs.
In 2025 T20 calendar year the all-around player has had 26 games and in those matches, he was chosen as the Player of the Match four times and has been the most outstanding player of Pakistan with the bat and ball.
Nawaz has delivered 74.4 overs during which he has conceded 490 runs and taken 36 wickets the highest of any Pakistani bowler in T20Is in 2025 – at a stunning average of 13.16.
On the batting side, he has scored 362 runs at an average of 19.05 with a top score of 38 not out. At a very good strike rate of 138.16, he has hit 24 fours and 21 sixes, thus becoming one of the most valuable players of Pakistan in the shortest format.
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Pakistani player secures top spot in latest T20I rankings
The latest T20 International rankings have been released, and Pakistani player Saim Ayub has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men’s T20I All-Rounder Rankings after his outstanding performance in the home tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
The 23-year-old opening batter scored a total of 118 runs over five innings, boasting a strike rate of 114.56. In addition to his batting contributions, Saim also took 3 wickets across four matches, including key dismissals in the final two matches, where he claimed one wicket each while scoring 27 and 36 runs, respectively. His all-round performances during the decisive moments of the series were instrumental to his team’s success.
As a result of his exceptional form, Saim Ayub surpassed Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, who now sits in second place with 289 rating points, while Saim holds the top position with 295 rating points.
Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz also drew attention for his impressive all-round contributions. Nawaz took 10 wickets during the series and scored 52 runs at a strike rate of 162.50. His remarkable display earned him both Player of the Series and Player of the Final honours. Consequently, Nawaz climbed three spots in the T20I All-Rounder Rankings to reach fourth place.
In the bowling rankings, Nawaz moved up two places to 11th position, while Abrar Ahmed, with six wickets in four matches, rose four spots to 4th position. Shaheen Shah Afridi remained in 18th place, while Sufyan Maqeem moved up to 32nd and Salman Mirza reached 34th. Saim Ayub also made gains in the bowling rankings, climbing 12 places to secure the 39th spot.
In the batting rankings, Pakistan’s top scorer of the series, Sahibzada Farhan, who made 191 runs at a strike rate of 146.92, experienced a slight drop, falling two places to 6th after scoring only 32 runs in the final two matches. Babar Azam dropped one spot to 30th, while Saim Ayub improved two places to 35th in the batting rankings. Additionally, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha made a significant move by rising 11 spots to reach 52nd, while Mohammad Rizwan, despite not being part of the squad, fell eight places to 55th.
