Looking like a warrior is easy, but acting like one is much harder—fortunately for Sajid Khan, he excels at both. Known as ‘Katappa’ for his resemblance to the character from Bahubaali, the off-spinner drew on his inner strength to endure a painful blow during a critical innings.
Pakistan made a remarkable recovery in Rawalpindi, climbing from 177/7 to 344 all out, securing a 77-run lead in the first innings of the third and final Test against England. Shakeel was the key player in this turnaround, scoring a measured 134 with only five boundaries.
He was supported by spin duo Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who each contributed around 40 runs, putting the hosts in a strong position in the series decider. However, this success was not without its challenges, including a self-inflicted injury to Sajid towards the end of his innings.
At 37 not out off 31 balls, Sajid attempted to lap a delivery from Rehan Ahmed between the wicketkeeper and fine leg but played the shot too early. The ball edged and struck his right cheek. He quickly removed his helmet to reveal the injury as the physio rushed out to apply ice and ointment.
By the end of the treatment, Sajid’s shirt was stained with blood, prompting him to change his jersey on the field, which drew enthusiastic cheers from the crowd. Remarkably, he maintained a stoic expression throughout the ordeal, earning him considerable praise on Twitter.
The game takes a violent turn
— deca coorn (@DCoorn74987) October 25, 2024
DAMNNNN
What a character Sajid is. Blood dripping from
His face, his shirt all read and showing thumbs up to the gallery and asking for shirt change.This is what we need this is what we want#ENGvsPAK pic.twitter.com/EqHOLZ6Odj
— ygritte🪨 (@Choolo56) October 25, 2024
Sajid Khan.. fighter all rounder..#PAKvENG #PAKvsENG#ENGvsPak #indvsnzl
— Mahnoor Khan (@Mahnoor_khan126) October 25, 2024
Sajid Khan 👏♥️ #PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/ZhcMCmWbCI
— Khalid Mehmood🇵🇰 (@xalid_46) October 25, 2024
Most sixes by Pakistan's No.10 batter in a Test inns
4 – Mushtaq Ahmed vs SA, Rawalpindi, 1997
4 – Sajid Khan vs ENG, Rawalpindi, 2024*
3 – Rahat Ali vs ZIM, Harare, 2013
3 – Hasan Ali vs SL, Abu Dhabi, 2017 #PAKvENG #PAKvsENG— Shashikant Singh (@shashi_CB) October 25, 2024
Sajid Khan missed a well deserved fifty by just 2 runs. He scored 48* of 48 balls with 2 FOURs & 4 SIXEs in his knock. pic.twitter.com/fxpLwINP0A
— Aman Khan (@AmanCricket_) October 25, 2024
Not only Noman Ali and Sajid Khan bowl well, but also they make vital contributions with the bat. They are proving to be great Test players Pakistan cricket team was missing. They are showing Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi how to support their batters.
— IMRAN DURRANI (@imrandurrani) October 25, 2024
Sajid and Noman seem angry with England! They are taking the whole 10 wickets and scores also when batting 🤣#sajidkhan #PAKvENG #INDvsNZ
— Shaharyar Azhar (@azhar_shaharyar) October 25, 2024
Ice, cold, drip, aura, character, dawg, him 🐐#SajidKhan #PAKvENG #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/9r2yiOzKKN
— SALAYHA 👑🇵🇰 (@Salayha_Ghaffar) October 25, 2024
Sajid Khan and Noman Ali put England at 24/3 by Day 2’s end
Spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali had England struggling at 24-3 after Saud Shakeel’s resilient century put Pakistan in the lead in the series-deciding third Test in Rawalpindi on Friday. England aimed to overcome a 77-run deficit but found no solutions against the Pakistan spinners on a turning pitch.
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