Azhar Mahmood may have joined the Kings XI Punjab camp only last week due to his visa issues.
But the former Pakistan all-rounder, who is playing in the Indian Premier League on the basis of his English passport, has an uncanny knack of changing the momentum of the match quickly.
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Adaptability is never a concern for Mahmood, who played 21 Tests and 143 ODIs for Pakistan. The star all-rounder has the superb ability to perform under any conditions. In January this year, Auckland Aces signed Mahmood as their overseas professional. He immediately impressed and his 44 off 32 balls helped Auckland Aces retain the HRV Cup.
He was then signed by Dhaka Gladiators for the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League where he played a major role in winning the title and bagged the Most Valuable Foreign Player award. He scored 298 runs in 11 matches that included two half-centuries and claimed nine wickets at an economy rate of 8.29. In his IPL debut on Friday, Mahmood’s quickfire 33 off 14 (three fours and two sixes) helped Kings XI Punjab put a commendable 163 for six against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Mohali.u00a0