Shahbaz Ahmed

Shahbaz Ahmed was born in Mewat, Haryana, the most backward district in India according to a government report in 2018. He started as a batter, playing local cricket in and around Mewat, but the opportunities were limited. In 2015, he moved to Kolkata to try his luck in club cricket. That is where he developed his left-arm spin and transformed himself into an allrounder.

Based on his performances in club cricket, Shahbaz was picked for Bengal for the 2018-19 season. But his open stance, which had brought him success at the lower level, proved to be a weakness, especially in red-ball cricket. He was dropped after just two Ranji Trophy games but made a solid comeback next season, scoring 509 runs and taking 35 wickets in his side's run to the final.

Just before that, at the IPL 2020 auction, Royal Challengers Bangalore had picked him for a base price of INR 20 lakh. Over the next three years, he made useful contributions for them, with both bat and ball. RCB bought Shahbaz back ahead of IPL 2023, this time for INR 2.4 crore, but he failed in both departments that season and was subsequently traded to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Mayank Dagar.

Shahbaz's ODI debut came against South Africa in Ranchi in 2022. A year later, he made his T20I debut at the Hangzhou Asian Games, where India won a gold medal.

- Shahbaz made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore after being acquired for his base price of INR 20 lakh at the IPL 2020 auction.

- He was a utility allrounder with the squad for three years, contributing with both bat and ball. RCB bought him back ahead of 2023 season - for INR 2.4 crore - but he returned underwhelming numbers in all departments.

- He was traded to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Mayank Dagar, and he played all 16 games for them in 2024, scoring 215 runs and taking seven wickets in the season.

- Shahbaz then went to Lucknow Super Giants for INR 2.40 crore, but played just three matches for them in the 2025 season. He was retained heading into 2026.