Follow UsRuturaj Gaikwad’s loss has become Imam-ul-Haq’s gain, as the left-hander has made a strong impression for Yorkshire in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. The Pakistani left-handed opener smashed his second consecutive century in the competition - a 117 against Lancashire - on August 12 (Wednesday).
Imam-ul-Haq has been one of Yorkshire’s best players in the competition, with scores of 55, 159 and 117 in the three games thus far. He’s currently the leading run-scorer in the competition, with 331 runs across three innings, averaging 110.33.
The left-hander’s stunning purple patch comes at the right time for Pakistan, who lost the three-match ODI series against West Indies 2-1. Both the openers, Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique, have failed in all three matches, opening the way for Imam to be included in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 squad.
Albeit different format, Imam’s ongoing form can’t be overlooked, as the left-hander smashes a stroke-filled 117, where he clobbered ten fours and five sixes, striking at 94.35 in the 50-over competition. In the previous clash against Northamptonshire, Imam struck 159 off 130 balls, with 20 fours and two sixes at a rich strike rate of 122.30.