Islamabad United have signed explosive uncapped batter Mohammad Faiq midway through their PSL 2025 campaign.
Whom did Faiq replace?
Islamabad United (IU) made another mid-season tweak by signing 28-year-old emerging batter Mohammad Faiq. Earlier, they were forced to reshuffle their squad after Matt Short was ruled out due to injury and Rassie van der Dussen withdrew for personal reasons.
As an overseas replacement, the franchise signed West Indies all-rounder Kyle Mayers, though they didn’t specify who he replaced. With one spot still vacant, Faiq’s inclusion could be to fill that gap.
Another exciting domestic prospect joins the family 🌟
— Islamabad United (@IsbUnited) April 29, 2025
Welcome aboard, Mohammad Faiq 👊#UnitedWeWin #DimaghSe #4TheDream #3xChampions #HBLPSLX pic.twitter.com/PInP9fDjQT
Who is Mohammad Faiq?
Faiq was part of the Lahore Whites squad in the 2025 National T20 Cup. Faiq’s tournament strike rate of 205.40 – the highest among players with at least 60 runs – underscores his explosive impact. His average of 76 further highlights remarkable consistency, epitomised by an unbeaten 116 off 56 balls against Larkana Region, his second century in just seven T20 innings.
From seven games, Faiq has amassed 401 runs, including two hundreds and two fifties at a strike rate of 194.66 while averaging a staggering 100.25 – the highest among players who have batted at least five times in the format's history. Overall, only four other batters have an average in excess of 100. None of them have batted five times though.
Players with the highest batting averages in T20 cricket
Faiq isn’t the only player IU rewarded post-draft for domestic heroics. Out-of-favor Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan, initially unsold, earned a call-up after a record-breaking National T20 Cup campaign. The 29-year-old topped the run charts for a fourth time in the tournament’s history, amassing 605 runs at 121, including three centuries and a fifty with a strike rate of 190.
The defending champions have dominated PSL 2025 so far, winning all five matches to lead the points table.
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