International career
Gulbadin Naib has played for Afghanistan in different formats for many years. He started his international career in 2011 and took part in many important matches.
- 2011 – Played his first One Day International (ODI) against Canada in the ICC Intercontinental Cup One-Day. Later, took part in a T20 match against Trinidad and Tobago.
- 2012 – Played his first T20 International against the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup Qualifiers. Faced Pakistan in Afghanistan’s first ODI against a Test-playing nation. Played against Australia in Afghanistan’s second ODI against a full-member team. Scored 22 runs off 17 balls in that match.
- 2019 – Became Afghanistan’s ODI captain before the ICC Cricket World Cup. Took six wickets for 43 runs against Ireland, which became his best bowling performance in ODIs. Played his 100th international match and reached 1,000 runs in ODIs during the World Cup.
- 2021 – Named in Afghanistan’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
- 2024 – Included in Afghanistan’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Took four wickets for 20 runs in a Super 8 match against Australia. Became the first bowler in T20 or ODI World Cup history to take four wickets in a World Cup match as the 8th bowling option. Helped Afghanistan secure a historic victory over Australia.
Leagues Participation
Gulbadin Naib has played in different franchise leagues throughout the years. Below is a breakdown of his participation in these leagues.
Indian Premier League (IPL)
Naib played for Delhi Capitals in 2024 as a replacement for Mitchell Marsh. In 2025, he was not selected during the auction.
|
Year
|
Team
|
Matches Played
|
Runs/Wickets
|
Details
|
|
2024
|
Delhi Capitals
|
2
|
19 runs
|
Replaced Mitchell Marsh for the rest of the season.
|
|
2025
|
Not Purchased
|
-
|
-
|
Registered with a base price of 1 crore rupees, but no bids came for him.
|
Bangladesh Premier League (BPL)
Naib was part of the Sylhet Sixers in 2018 and then played for Sylhet Strikers in 2023.
|
Year
|
Team
|
Matches Played
|
Runs/Wickets
|
Details
|
|
2018
|
Sylhet Sixers
|
-
|
-
|
Selected after the draft.
|
|
2023
|
Sylhet Strikers
|
1
|
0/1
|
Played against Khulna Tigers and scored 2 runs.
|
Afghanistan Premier League (APL)
Naib has played for Balkh Legends since the first season in 2018.
|
Year
|
Team
|
Matches Played
|
Runs/Wickets
|
Details
|
|
2018
|
Balkh Legends
|
-
|
-
|
Part of the squad for the first APL season.
|
|
2024
|
Balkh Legends
|
9
|
12 wickets
|
Played 9 matches and took 12 wickets.
|
Shpageeza Cricket League
In 2024, Naib played for Boost Defenders in the Shpageeza Cricket League.
|
Year
|
Team
|
Matches Played
|
Runs/Wickets
|
Details
|
|
2024
|
Boost Defenders
|
-
|
91 runs/3 wickets
|
Scored 91 runs and took 3 wickets against Amo Sharks to help his team win.
|
Domestic career
Gulbadin Naib first found interest in bodybuilding, not cricket. Later, he switched to cricket and quickly moved through Afghanistan's youth teams as a batting allrounder. In 2008, he became the youngest player on the team that won the Division Five tournament, which was a key step in his cricket career.
Soon after, Naib was dropped from the team. During this time, his family faced struggles. His father was unemployed, his mother had hepatitis, and his family had to take care of his disabled sister. Despite these hardships, Naib returned to the national team in 2011 and became an important player in Afghanistan’s middle order, contributing both with bat and ball.
Records and achievements
Gulbadin Naib has reached several important milestones in his career.
Awards:
- 2010 Asian Games: Silver Medal – Afghanistan beat Hong Kong to win silver in cricket.
- 2011 ACC Twenty20 Cup: Champion – Naib scored 57 runs from 50 balls in the final against Hong Kong, helping Afghanistan win by 8 wickets.
- 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup: Best Bowling – Naib took 4 wickets for 20 runs in 4 overs against Australia.
Records:
- June 24, 2019: Naib played his 100th international match for Afghanistan against Bangladesh, reaching 1000 runs in ODI cricket.
- Highest Batting Score: Naib scored 82 runs on January 6, 2016, against Zimbabwe.
- ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024: Naib took 4 wickets and gave away 20 runs in a match against Australia.
Personal life
Gulbadin Naib keeps his private life mostly out of the public eye. While people know him for his skills on the cricket field, little is shared about his personal matters. Here is a look at different aspects of his life.
Family
Naib does not share much about his family. He is married, but there is not much known about his wife. He has children, as seen on his social media, but he keeps details of his home life private.
Finance
As a well-known cricketer and former captain, Naib earns a good salary. His yearly income is thought to be around $1 million. His net worth in 2021 was estimated to be about $4 million.
Cars and House
There is no public information about Naib's cars or his house. The details of his property and vehicles are kept private.
Scandals
In June 2024, a situation during a T20 World Cup match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh caught attention. Naib collapsed on the field, saying he had a hamstring injury. This led to a break in the game, and some thought he faked the injury to stop the match as rain was expected. Although the match outcome was not affected, this led to criticism, including from his team’s captain, Rashid Khan.
Fans
Naib has a large following, with nearly 240k followers on Instagram. In 2019, after Afghanistan lost to Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup, he asked fans to stay calm and avoid violence. He understood the emotions but urged the crowd to respect the game and not get violent.
In 2024, after another T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh, Naib faced mockery from fans. Many thought he faked an injury to influence the match, and the incident stirred up debate online.
