In the inaugural 2008 IPL season, many Pakistani players featured in the competition. However, because of political tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistani players could not take part in the league from 2009 onwards. Azhar Mahmood was an exception. He represented KXIP in 2012 and 2013 and KKR in 2015 after he had become a British citizen in 2011.
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Azhar Mahmood
The all-rounder who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm fast-medium has played 23 matches and scored 388 runs at 20.42 with the highest score of 80 and a strike rate of 128.05. He has also taken 29 wickets at 24.14 with the best bowling figures of 3/20. He had an economy rate of 7.82 and a strike rate of 18.52. He won two Player of the Match awards while playing for Kings XI Punjab: the first one, when he took 3/20 against RCB on 2 May 2012. He won the other one for his all-round effort on 18 May 2013 when Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians met in Dharamsala in a league match. Batting at number 3, Azhar scored 80 off 44 balls with 8 fours and 4 sixes. Coming to the crease with the scoreboard reading 6/2 at the fall of Adam Gilchrist’s wicket, Azhar shared a 3rd-wicket partnership of 148 runs with Shaun Marsh to help Kings to a score of 183/8. Replying, MI were bowled out for 133 in 19.1 overs with Mahmood returning bowling figures of 2/24 in 4 overs.
Kamran Akmal
The right-handed batsman played 6 matches for Rajasthan Royals and scored 128 runs at 25.60, with the top score of 53 not out. He scored his runs at a strike rate of 164.10. As wicket-keeper, he had a hand in 5 catches and 4 stumpings.
Misbah ul Haq
The right-handed batsman played 8 matches and scored 117 runs at 16.71 with the highest score of 47 not out against Delhi Daredevils. Batting at number 5 for RCB against Delhi Daredevils in Bengaluru on 19 May 2008, Misbah made an unbeaten 47 off 25 balls with 2 fours and 4 sixes to help his side to a score of 154/7. Unfortunately for Misbah and RCB, DD chased down the target with 5 wickets and 10 balls to spare. Misbah made his IPL runs at a strike rate of 144.44.
Mohammad Asif
The right-arm fast-medium bowler played 8 matches for Delhi Daredevils in which he took 8 wickets at an average of 37.00 with an economy rate of 9.25 and a strike rate of 24.00. He had his best bowling figures of 2/19. Delhi Daredevils were hosted in a league match in Hyderabad by Deccan Chargers on 22 April 2008. MD Asif took 2/19, accounting for the dismissals of Adam Gilchrist and VVS Laxman to help restrict DC, who batted first, to 142/8 in their allotted overs. DD chased down the target in 13 overs with nine wickets to spare.
<Salman Butt
The left-handed batsman played 7 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders, scoring 193 runs at an average of 27.57 with a strike rate of 119.88. He had a top score of 73.
<Shahid Afridi
The all-rounder represented Deccan Chargers in 10 matches in which he scored 81 runs at 10.13 with the top score of 33 and at a strike rate of 176.09. He also took 9 wickets at 25.00 with the best bowling figures of 3/28. Afridi enjoyed an economy rate of 7.50 and a strike rate of 20.00 in the IPL.
<Shoaib Akhtar
The right-arm fast bowler represented KKR in 4 matches and took 5 wickets at 10.80 with his best bowling figures of 4/11, an economy rate of 7.71 and a strike rate of 8.40. He won the Player of the Match award for his 4/11 against Delhi Daredevils on 13 May 2008. After KKR had scored 133/6 batting first in a league game, Akhtar took 3/11 in 3 overs to help bowl out DD for 110 in 17.5 overs. He accounted for the wickets of Gambhir, Sehwag, De Villiers and Tiwary at the top of the order.
<Shoaib Malik
The all-rounder who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm off-break played 7 matches and scored 52 runs at 13.00 with the top score of 24, having scored his runs at a strike rate of 110.64. He also took 2 wickets at 42.50, with best bowling figures of 1/6. He had an economy rate of 10.00 and a strike rate of 25.50.
<Sohail Tanvir
The left-arm medium-fast bowler played 11 matches as a member of the inaugural title-winning Rajasthan Royals. He took 23 wickets at 11.57 to win the Purple Cap for most wickets by a bowler that season. He had the best bowling figures of 6/14 and boasted an economy rate of 6.46 and a strike rate of 10.74. He won two Player of the Match awards, the first for taking 6/14 against CSK on 4 May 2008. In that game held in Jaipur, batting first in a league match against RR, CSK were bowled out for 109 in 19 overs. Tanvir took 6/14, including the wickets of PA Patel, SP Fleming, S Vidyut, JA Morkel, M Muralitharan and M Ntini, paving the way for a 2-wicket win for Royals. He got his second award for taking 5/14 against Mumbai Indians on 26 May 2008, also in Jaipur.
<Umar Gul
The right-arm fast-medium bowler played 6 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders, in which he took 12 wickets at an average of 15.33, with the best bowling figures of 4/23. He had an economy rate of 8.18 and a strike rate of 11.25. He won the Player of the Match award for his 4/23 against Kings XI Punjab at Kolkata on 25 May 2008. In that game, Batting first, KXIP were restricted to 174/6 before KKR chased down the target with 3 wickets and 2 balls to spare. Umar Gul took 4/23, accounting for the scalps of Kings batsmen JR Hopes, Sangakkara, Irfan Pathan and PP Chawla.
<Younis Khan
The right-handed batsman played one match for Rajasthan Royals in which he scored just 3 runs.