Iftikhar Ahmed is one of the top all-rounders for Pakistan in white-ball cricket in the past 5 years. His explosive power-hitting gave Pakistan a chance to win a crucial game. For Pakistan, he scored important runs at the back end of the innings. With his crucial power-hitting, he was instrumental in taking key wickets for Pakistan during the middle phase of the innings. Throughout his entire career, Iftikhar played with full aggression and possession against his opponents. His performances in the SENA countries are crucial to Pakistan’s success in winning games. Let’s dive into Iftikhar Ahmed Stats Revealed: How Reliable Is He for Pakistan?
Iftikhar Ahmed’s Career at a Glance: Format by Format
T20I Stats: The Finisher in the Spotlight
Iftikhar Ahmed made his T20 debut for Pakistan in 2016. In his first game, he did not get many chances. He stood at one end and did not open his account. After 3 years in 2019, Iftikhar Ahmed got another chance for Pakistan in T20 cricket. In the 2nd game against Sri Lanka in 3-game T20 series, Iftikhar scored 42 runs for his side. Unfortunately, Pakistan lost that T20 series against Sri Lanka.
After that series, Pakistan visited Australia for a 3-game T20 series. Iftikhar Ahmed got a chance in all three of these games. Iftikhar Ahmed got only the ball in the first game. However, in the second game, Iftikhar Ahmed scored 62* off 34 balls. That was the turning point of Ifikhar Ahmed’s T20 batting career. Iftikhar Ahmed finished that three-game series by scoring 45 on 37 balls in the 3rd game.
After that series, Iftikhar Ahmed became a full-time member of the T20 squad for Pakistan. He played in every game for Pakistan in white-ball cricket over the next 2 to 3 years. But from 2020 to 2022, Iftikhar Ahmed’s performances were average in T20 cricket. In that phase, Ifikhar’s highest run score in an innings was 32 runs on 19 balls against West Indies in Karachi.
In the Asia Cup 2022, Iftikhar Ahmed’s performance was below average as a finisher batter. In a couple of crucial games against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, he did not contribute with the bat. And Pakistan lost the final of the Asia Cup 2022 after reaching the final after a 10-year absence.
But he got another chance to refine his T20 career. Up against India in the T20 World Cup 2022, Iftikhar Ahmed scored 51 runs on 34 and took Pakistan to a stable position. After that, Iftikhar Ahmed scored another 50 against South Africa in a crucial game in that World Cup.
After that World Cup, Iftikhar’s average performances continued. He scored only one fifty after the World Cup 2022 game against South Africa. Following Pakistan’s dismal performance in the T20 World Cup 2024, Iftikhar Ahmed did not play a single T20 cricket game for Pakistan. Check out the T20 stats of Iftikhar Ahmed in T20 cricket.
| Metric | Value |
| Matches played (T20Is) | 66 |
| Innings batted | 55 |
| Not out | 14 |
| Total runs | 998 |
| Batting average | 24.34 |
| Highest score (HS) | 62* (not out) |
| Strike rate | 129.10 |
| Number of 50s / 100s | 4 fifties, 0 hundreds |
| Fours | 66 |
| Sixes | 44 |
ODI Stats: Stability or Struggle?
Iftikhar Ahmed made his ODI debut against England in 2015. After scoring eight runs in 2 games of that series, Iftikhar got dropped from the series. After four years, Iftikhar Ahmed got a chance to be part of the Pakistan ODI squad. In the first Game, Iftikhar scored 32* runs on 20 balls. Following that game, Iftikhar scored 28* runs on 22 balls for Pakistan.
These crucial contributions to Pakistan made him a crucial member of the Pakistan ODI side. However, after that game, Iftikhar experienced a noticeable decline in his performance. Rather than becoming an important power-hitter in the Pakistan ODI squad, he has just become an ordinary player. But in May 2023, Iftikhar made an important comeback to the ODI squad. He made 94* runs against New Zealand, which was important for him and his side at that time. After two games, Iftikhar scored his first-ever ODI hundred against Nepal in the Asia Cup 2023.
However, unfortunately, after that game, Iftikhar Ahmed’s performance was subpar. Pakistan finished third in the Asia Cup and fifth on the points table of the 2023 World Cup. A big reason for Pakistan’s performance was Iftikhar Ahmed, who was playing at the lower-middle order. In the 2023 World Cup, Iftikhar Ahmed’s highest score was 40 runs against Afghanistan. Therefore, after the 2023 World Cup, Iftikhar Ahmed was dropped from the ODI squad. After that, he was not selected for the ODI squad for Pakistan.
| Metric | Value |
| ODIs played | 28 |
| Total runs | 614 |
| Batting average | 38.37 |
| Highest score | 109* |
| Strike rate | 106.59 |
| 100s / 50s | 1 hundred, 1 fifty |
| Four | 52 |
| Six | 20 |
Test Career: Limited Chances, Modest Returns
Iftikhar Ahmed made his test debut for Pakistan in 2016 against England. In that 4-game series, Iftikhar Ahmed played only one game, in which he scored only four runs. After that series, Iftikhar got a chance to play against Australia. In 2 games, Iftikhar only scored 42 runs for Pakistan in 4 innings. He played his last test game against Australia in Rawalpindi. In his last game, Iftikhar scored only 13* runs. After that, Iftikhar Ahmed did not play a single test game for Pakistan. Considering his performances, it is very challenging for him to make a comeback to the Pakistan Test squad. Because he only scored 61 runs in 4 games with an average of less than 15. Therefore, the Pakistan team will look to invest in young players. Now, he is on the verge of retiring in the next 2-3 years. He has the ability and skills to make a comeback in white-ball cricket, especially in the T20 squad for Pakistan. However, in the test, it is challenging to ask him to establish a solid reputation in test cricket for Pakistan now.
| Metric | Value |
| Matches (Tests) | 4 |
| Innings batted | 6 |
| Not outs | 1 |
| Total runs | 61 |
| Batting average | 12.20 |
| Highest score | 27 |
| Strike rate (overall) | 42.66 |
| 50s / 100s | 0 / 0 |
| Four | 05 |
| Six | 00 |
Domestic and League Stats: PSL, FC, and T20 Leagues
PSL Contributions Over the Years
Iftikhar Ahmed has extensive experience playing in domestic leagues worldwide. His crucial power-hitting and bowling in the middle over create demand in franchise leagues worldwide. In PSL, Iftikhar is one of the few players who have won the most PSL trophies. He has played for 5 PSL franchises, which ensures his demand and versatility.
Playing since the start of the PSL, Iftikhar Ahmed is in the list of top run scorers for Pakistan. Iftikhar Ahmed has scored 1134 runs in the PSL. Iftikhar Ahmed has won the final playing with 3 PSL franchises. He also played the final for Multan Sultan. It is a unique record that he holds, playing with different franchises in the PSL. He is the only player in PSL history to have played with five different franchises.
| Category | Stats |
| Matches | 78 |
| Innings | 67 |
| Not Outs | 19 |
| Runs | 1134 |
| Highest Score | 71* |
| Batting Average | 23.62 |
| Balls Faced | 859 |
| Strike Rate | 132.01 |
| 50s | 5 |
| 4s | 82 |
| 6s | 56 |
Due to his exceptional power-hitting, Iftikhar Ahmed has a significant reputation in various T20 Franchise leagues worldwide. Iftikhar Ahmed has played in different franchise leagues worldwide and scored runs for his side. He has played in the CPL, BPL, and LPL. Despite these leagues, Iftikhar Ahmed has played in Global T20 Canada. He has scored runs for his respective sides playing in these leagues. That makes Iftikhar a valuable player for Pakistan, who also has experience playing T20 cricket in various conditions.
Iftikhar Ahmed played the final of the Caribbean Premier League 2025 with the Amazon Warriors. He played a crucial innings under pressure of 30 runs. But unfortunately, his side lost that final game. Iftikhar Ahmed did not get chances in this season for the Warriors. But he scored crucial runs coming at the late-middle order batting order.
In recent editions of BPL, Iftikhar Ahmed joined the Ranpur Riders. He was among the top run scorers for his side in that season. Iftikhar Ahmed scored 305 with 65* best score. His batting performances took his side to the #3 position. His crucial contributions in various leagues worldwide make him a significant and impactful player. Therefore, every side wants to get him on their side in every franchise league. His best performances made him a valuable player for every league in which he participated.
First-Class and List A Numbers
Iftikhar Ahmed has extensive experience in playing domestic cricket. He also led the side to win domestic trophies. Iftikhar Ahmed led his side to the final of the National T20 Cup. Unfortunately, he and his team were unable to set up a good total, and his side lost the final. Iftikhar Ahmed did not contribute well with the bat in that tournament. However, his leadership was crucial in taking his side to the final game.
In the recent Champions Cup, Iftikhar Ahmed led the Markhor side to the final. He took over the captaincy from Rizwan after he went on national duties. Iftikhar showed great courage but failed to lift the title for his side. Iftikhar Ahmed showed excellent performance with the bat in that tournament. He scored 193 runs in 6 games for his side in the Champions One-Day Cup.
Iftikhar Ahmed has won one T20 cup for KP in recent times. These records are not satisfactory and show that Iftikhar has to work on his skills to return to the T20 national side. Iftikhar is capable of becoming a solid middle-order player for Pakistan in T20 cricket. And also, the T20 World Cup 2026 is just 5-6 months away. Therefore, Iftikhar has a golden opportunity ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, which is the PSL.
In PSL, he can perform well to make a solid comeback as a middle-order batsman for Pakistan. Besides Batting records, Iftikhar has done brilliantly with the ball as well. He has made an important performance as a bowler for Pakistan. In the middle phase of the innings, Iftikhar took important wickets for Pakistan. He was a lethal weapon for Pakistan against left-hand batters. So, if he keeps working on his all-around skills, he can make a place for himself in the Pakistan cricket team.
Reading Between the Stats: Strengths, Gaps, and Roles
Strengths: Power Hitting and Late Finishing
Iftikhar Ahmed was a permanent member of the Pakistan cricket team from 2019 to 2023. He played most of Pakistan’s games in the ODI and T20 formats during that period. Besides his crucial power-hitting, Iftikhar Ahmed saved the Pakistan cricket team from humiliation. One of the biggest strengths of Iftikhar Ahmed was his outstanding performance in Australia. His permanent run in the Pakistan cricket team started when he scored his first T20 fifty in Australia.
Then, in the T20 World Cup, he scored important runs for Pakistan in crucial games. Against India, he formed an important partnership with Shan Masood, when Pakistan needed it the most. His 50+ runs innings took Pakistan to a total of 160 runs. Against South Africa, Iftikhar batted so well along with Shadab Khan to build a solid partnership in a crucial game. It was a virtual knockout game for Pakistan, in which Iftikhar’s performance was crucial at the time.
These statistics and records indicate that Iftikhar enjoys playing in Australia. However, overall, examining Iftikhar Ahmed’s batting records reveals that most of his runs were scored while playing in Pakistan and Australia. He was a crucial player for Pakistan in the 2023 Cricket World Cup. However, he scored only one fifty in his entire career. Along with the average performances of other players, Iftikhar also made no significant contributions with the bat or the ball.
Gaps: Strike Rotation, Role Clarity
Iftikhar Ahmed was a crucial player for Pakistan in the lower-middle order, stabilising and scoring quick runs in the death overs. And he did that job for Pakistan quite well from 2019 to 2023. But looking at his performance just before dropping from the side, Iftikhar Ahmed can be seen as a batter with no clear plan. However, on spin-friendly tracks like those in India and Sri Lanka, he failed to score big runs. Similar to Sri Lanka, in the Asia Cup 2023, Iftikhar did not deliver a massive performance on spin-friendly tracks. In the 2023 World Cup, his performances were not satisfactory.
He can hit the ball long, but due to mindless hitting, he did not get an extension to his innings. Therefore, he only scored four fifties in T20 cricket. There may be a reason why he comes in the late middle order. Therefore, he gets fewer balls to score more runs with the bat. However, he advanced to the top four positions, as selected by the captain and team management.
However, his run-scoring ability was very low there. So, he needs to work hard to read the game situation. However, he can serve Pakistan cricket for 3-4 years from now. But there are some areas where he needs to work really hard. And PSL 2026 is the perfect chance for him to overcome his shortcomings and make a comeback in the Pakistan cricket team.
Dual Role as Bowler: Bonus or Burden?
In the best period of his career, Iftikhar was a real asset for Pakistan in white-ball cricket. However, after a certain period of time, he began to lack concentration, which ultimately reduced his performances for the Pakistan cricket team. Additionally, he was dropped from the Pakistan cricket team due to the availability of many all-rounders for Pakistan. Iftikhar was not mostly used as a full-time bowler in the Pakistan unit. However, compared to him, Shadab Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, and Imad Wasim were the most valuable options. These players contribute valuable runs and take important wickets for their side. However, he managed to deliver valuable performances for his side, which secured his position; these options were valuable to the Pakistan unit. Now, Iftikhar has a golden chance to return to the Pakistan cricket team for the T20 World Cup 2026. The Pakistan cricket team’s performances also average compared to top-quality sides. Iftikhar Ahmed Mus performed perfectly in PSL 2026, securing his spot in Pakistan’s lower middle order for the T20 World Cup 2026.