IPL 2018: Pakistan-born Hong Kong cricketer Nizakat Khan might be a big miss for teams

Pakistan-born all-rounder Nizakat Khan could have turned out to be a real deal for the Indian Premier League teams in the upcoming IPL 2018 tournament. The 25-year-old, who plays for the Hong Kong cricket team, was the star of the Hong Kong T20 Blitz 2018 final as the Jaguars beat the Gladiators on Sunday.

Nizakat took the attention off Gladiators' star player and Sri Lanka veteran Kumar Sangakkara in the match as the Hung Hom Jaguars won by 6 runs.

Nizakat, who last played a T20 International match in January 2017, blasted 93 runs (6x6, 4x8) off 52 balls to remain the star player of the final. The JD Jaguars team also boasted the likes of Kolkata Knight Riders bowler Chris Lynn and Darren Sammy, who led the West Indies team to winning the T20 World Cup 2016 title.

The 25-year-old could have been a real key addition to any of the eight teams in IPL 2018 as he is not only a big hitter but also a decent leg break bowler. Unfortunately, Nizakat was not a part of the IPL Auction.

Nizakat was temporarily suspended from bowling after being found guilty of illegal deliveries during an ICC T20 World Qualifying match in 2015. However, the ICC clearance came in December that year.

According to the latest ESPN Cricinfo stats, Nizakat has a total of 774 runs from a total of 44 T20 innings. He also has 21 wickets from 19 innings.