"New Year's Day is not just a time for celebration, but also a special day for some amazing cricketers. These cricket stars were born on the first day of the year and have made a big impact in cricket. With their incredible skills and hard work, they have become true legends. Let's look closer at the top 10 cricketers who share their birthday with the start of the New Year and celebrate their outstanding achievements both on and off the field."
1. Kadeem Alleyne
Kadeem Alleyne is a Barbadian Cricketer born on 1st January 2001 in Barbados. He made his Twenty20 debut in September 2021 in the Caribbean Premier League for the Saint Lucia Kings. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium/fast seamer. Kadeem is now part of Gladiola CC in the Barbados Elite Cricket Competition. He showed great potential as a junior player, representing Barbados U19 and other youth teams on the Island. Kadeem, who stands at an impressive height of 6ft 4in, is an exceptional cricket player known for his powerful and accurate hits. Unfortunately, he hasn't received the recognition he deserves in Barbados.
2. Qiana Joseph
Qiana Joseph is a Cricketer from Saint Lucia born on 1st January 2001. She bowls with her left hand and is known for her fast-paced deliveries. Qiana represents the Windward Islands and Barbados Royals teams in Cricket matches. She made her debut in the tournament against South Africa in 2017. In 2018, she was to join the West Indies squad for the ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament.
3. Amanjot Kaur
Amanjot Bhupinder Kaur is an Indian Cricketer born on 1st January 2000. She represents Punjab and has played as a right-arm medium bowler and right-handed batter. She has also played for Chandigarh in the past. Kaur was chosen by the Mumbai Indian team for a price of 50 lakhs during the first WPL auction in February 2023. In January 2023, Kaur played her first match for the Indian team and scored an impressive 41 runs without getting out against South Africa.
4. Shawkat Zaman
Shawkat Zaman is an Afgan Cricketer and right hand-batsman was born on 1st January 2000 in Batikoot, Nangarhar. He made his Twenty20 debut in September 2017 for Kabul Eagles in the 2017 Shpageeza Cricket League. He played his first match for Speen Ghar Region in the Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day Tournament in October 2017. He scored an impressive 169 runs in the first innings.
5. Pakhtoon Sarfaraz
Pakhtoon Sarfaraz is an Afghan cricketer born on 1st January 1998 in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. He played his first experience in List A Cricket during the 2019 Afghanistan Provincial Challenge Cup tournament. In September 2020, he made his Twenty20 debut for Mis Ainak Knights in the 2020 Shpageeza Cricket League. He batted well and also got two wickets against Kabul Province. He hasn't had the opportunity to play in international matches for Afghanistan. However, he is considered a talented player with great potential.
6. Benjamin Lister
Benjamin Lister is a New Zealand Cricketer born on 1st January 1996 in Henderson, Auckland. He is a left-arm medium-pace bowler. Lister made his first-class debut for Auckland during the 2017-18 season of the Plunket Trophy. He joined Auckland for the 2018-19 season in June 2018. In September 2018, he got picked to play for the Auckland Aces in the 2018 Abu Dhabi T20 Trophy. In November 2019, during the 2019-20 Ford Trophy, Lister bowled his first five-wicket haul in List A cricket. He topped the tournament with 23 dismissals in eleven matches, taking the most wickets.
7. Kagiso Mohale
Kagiso Mohale is a South African Cricketer born on 1st January 1994 in Kimberley, South Africa. In the 2015 Africa T20 Cup, he was selected to play for the Griqualand West Cricket team. Mohale was named in Northern Cape’s Squad for the 2018 Africa T20 Cup in September 2018. In the 2018-19 CSA 3-Day Provincial Cup, he was the leading wicket-taker for Northern Cape with 16 dismissals in nine matches.
8. Salman Mirza
Salman Mirza is a Pakistani Cricketer born on 1st January 1994. He is a Left-arm fast Bowler. In February 2021, he made his Twenty20 debut for Lahore Qalandars in the 2021 Pakistan Super League. Salman Mirza started playing cricket when he was Ten years old. He joined a local club in Lahore and admired Pakistani fast bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. He tried to copy their skills. He played for different teams in Lahore and Punjab at various age levels. He even got the chance to represent Pakistan Under-19 in the 2013 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup in the UAE. He was part of the winning Pakistan Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Bangladesh. He showed his talent by taking four wickets in three matches. He has a lot of potential and hopes to make it to the national cricket team in Pakistan. He wants to play at the highest level and represent his country.
9. Ramesh Kumar
Ramesh Kumar is an Indian Cricketer born on 1st January 1999 in Jalalabad, Punjab. He plays for Punjab in domestic Cricket and Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL. Ramesh was compared to Sunil Narine, another left-arm spinner on their team, because they both have the skill to bowl with various grips and speeds. Former Cricketers like Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh have praised Ramesh Kumar after watching him bowl and bat during practice sessions. He is excited to learn from the experienced players and coaches in the IPL and dreams of making a name for himself on the big stage. He also hopes to play for India one day and proudly represents his state and city.
10. Mohammad Shamim Iqbal
Mohammad Shamim Iqbal is a Bangladeshi Cricketer born on 1st January 1999 in Comilla. He is a right-hand batsman. He is the cousin of Tamim Iqbal and is considered one of the greatest and most beloved Cricketers in the history of Bangladesh. In July 2023, he made his International Debut for the Bangladesh Cricket Team in a T20I match against Ireland.
