Watch: In today’s PSL game between the Lahore Qalandars and the Quetta Gladiators, the headlines were immediately grabbed by 23-year-old Mirza Baig as he smashed Mohammad Hafeez for a six and two fours in the opening over.

Baig is 19 years younger than Hafeez but even the three dot balls looked mature and full of control. He was eventually out for 31 off 15 balls, getting his team off to a rapid start.

After calmly defending the first delivery of the game, he smashed Hafeez over long-on next ball. The following delivery he shuffled down the track and opened up the off side to clear mid-off for a boundary.

On the fourth ball of the over he politely worked it to the mid-wicket fielder but was only momentarily calmed as his slog sweep next ball landed just short of the boundary. Once again he respectfully found mid-wicket with a push for no run on the last ball.

This is the top-order batter’s third professional T20 game and he has already shown signs in this tournament of his talent. He hit five boundaries in the opening game before top scoring with 45 against the Karachi Kings in the last game.

Prior to this competition, he toured Namibia with the Lahore Qalandars in September 2022. Baig opened the tour with a score of 60 in a 50-over game against the Richelieu Eagles, the bowling attack in that game boasted Namibian internationals JJ Smit, Ruben Trumplemann, Jan Frylinck, and Gerhard Erasmus.

The young batter also highlighted his T20 prowess in a game against the Lions on the same tour as he gave his team a good start with 47 off 33 balls.
If he can build on this promising start to the PSL then he could provide some much-needed impetus to the Pakistan top order.

Watch the Mirza Baig assault below:

Mirza Baig owned this over 💪🏽#SabSitarayHumaray l #QGvLQ l #HBLPSL8 pic.twitter.com/rhLwLFP7sc

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 21, 2023