Hashmatullah Shahidi

International career

Hashmatullah Shahidi has played an important role in Afghanistan’s cricket journey. He has been part of the national team for many years and has led the team in major tournaments.

• Shahidi started playing at the U-17 level. In 2010, he was selected for Afghanistan’s squad in the U-19 World Cup in New Zealand. Four years later, he played in another U-19 tournament, where Afghanistan won matches against Sri Lanka and Australia.
• His first T20I match was on September 30, 2013. Two days later, he played his first ODI against Kenya in the ICC World Cricket League Championship. He made a mistake in that match and was dismissed early, but he kept working on his game and earned a regular spot in the team.
• In 2018, he was part of Afghanistan’s squad for its first-ever Test match against India. His Test debut was on June 14, 2018. He scored an unbeaten 36 runs in the second innings, which was the highest score for Afghanistan in that match. The team lost the game in two days.
• In 2019, he played in the Cricket World Cup. During a match against England on June 18, 2019, he reached 1,000 ODI runs. He was also known for playing long innings without hitting sixes. In May 2019, he hit his first-ever international six, after scoring 865 ODI runs without one.
• On March 11, 2021, Shahidi became the first Afghan cricketer to score a double hundred in Test cricket. He remained not out on 200 in a match against Zimbabwe, where Afghanistan reached 545/4 in the first innings.
• He was included in Afghanistan’s squad for the T20 World Cup in September 2021. The team did not reach the later stages, but his presence in the middle order was important.
• In October 2023, Shahidi was named captain of Afghanistan for the ODI Cricket World Cup. He scored 80 runs off 88 balls against India and 48 not out off 45 balls in a win against Pakistan. He also played a key role against Sri Lanka with a half-century in a must-win game.
• In December 2024, Shahidi scored 246 runs in a Test match against Zimbabwe. This became the highest individual score by an Afghan player in Test cricket.
• In January 2025, he was chosen as Afghanistan’s captain for the ICC Champions Trophy. On February 26, 2025, the team won an important match against England at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Ibrahim Zadran scored 177 runs, and Azmatullah Omarzai took five wickets. England was bowled out for 317 in 49.5 overs, and Afghanistan won by eight runs. After the match, Shahidi spoke about the team’s effort and said the result would make Afghan cricket fans happy.

Leagues Participation

Shahidi played for Mis Ainak Knights in the Shpageeza Cricket League. 

Shpageeza Cricket League

On September 6, 2020, the team won against Band-e-Amir Dragons by one run. Shahidi scored 65 runs in that match. On August 16, 2024, in another match against Band-e-Amir Dragons, he scored 35 runs.

Year	Team	Notes
2020	Mis Ainak Knights	Scored 65 runs in a one-run win
2024	Mis Ainak Knights	Scored 35 runs against Band-e-Amir Dragons

Domestic career

Hashmatullah Shahidi played for Amo Region in domestic cricket. In the 2017-2018 Ahmad Shah Abdali four-day tournament final, he represented Band-e-Amir Region against Speen Ghar Region and scored 163 runs in the first innings.

In 2024, he took part in the Qosh Tepa National T20 Cup with Amo Region and scored 88 runs in three matches.

Records and achievements

Hashmatullah Shahidi set records in international cricket. His performances in Test and ODI matches brought recognition at national and international levels.

• March 11, 2021 – First Afghan player to score 200 runs in a Test match against Zimbabwe.
• June 18, 2019 – Reached 1,000 ODI runs in a match against England.
• October 11, 2023 – Scored 80 runs from 88 balls against India in the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup.
• 2024 – Scored 141 runs in a match against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.
• 2018 – Named ODI Player of the Year at the Afghanistan Cricket Board Awards. Also included in the ICC ODI Team of the Year.
• 2019 ODI World Cup – Scored 197 runs in eight matches, including 76 runs against England.
• March 11, 2021 – First Afghan player to reach 200 runs in a Test match against Zimbabwe.
• December 2024 – Scored 246 runs in a Test match against Zimbabwe, the highest score by an Afghan batter in this format.

Personal life

Hashmatullah Shahidi is well known in cricket. He has a supportive family and a large group of fans.

Family

Hashmatullah Shahidi is married and has a son. His father, Mohammad Hashim Shahidi, was a physics professor and authored 44 books. He emphasized the importance of education to his son, seeing cricket as just a hobby. Unfortunately, Hashmatullah’s mother passed away in 2023, and his father had passed away earlier in 2018. He also has two brothers, Shukrullah and Zekrullah.

Finance

Hashmatullah's estimated net worth is around $2 million.

Scandals

After a loss to Bangladesh in the 2023 Asia Cup, Shahidi said the team needed to improve, especially in bowling and fielding.
In 2023, he mentioned that the team’s batting was too weak to beat Bangladesh.

Fans

In 2023, Shahidi shared a video with a taxi driver in India who didn't charge him for a ride.
After Afghanistan’s win against England in the Champions Trophy 2025 on February 27, 2025, fans compared Afghanistan’s performance to Pakistan’s and said Afghanistan is the second-best team in Asia after India.

During the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, he thanked Indian fans for their support, saying, "I want to thank the Indian fans for their support. They have supported and encouraged us throughout the World Cup, and I am grateful for their love".

His Instagram has 280,000 followers.