Who is Saud Shakeel? 5 interesting facts about Pakistan batter who scored 208* in 1st Test vs SL

Saud Shakeel produced the best performance of his life in the first match of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Playing only his sixth Test match, Shakeel smacked a magnificent double hundred for the visitors at the Galle International Stadium.

The left-handed batter came out to bat at number five when Pakistan's score was 67/3, trailing by 245 runs. Pakistan lost Babar Azam and Sarfaraz Ahmed's wickets soon after, which put more pressure on the rising star Saud Shakeel.

However, Shakeel did not lose his wicket. He held one end and scored a double hundred. He ultimately remained not out on 208 runs off 361 balls as Pakistan were all out for 461.

Fans should note that this was only his second Test hundred and first away from home, and he has converted it into a double ton. In this listicle, we will look at the five things you need to know about Pakistan's double centurion.

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#1 Saud Shakeel went viral on social media as Virat Kohli's lookalike

Shakeel made his international debut for Pakistan in ODI against England at Sophia Gardens on July 8, 2021. While Shakeel managed only five runs on his ODI debut, he grabbed everyone's attention on social media because he looked similar to Indian cricketer Virat Kohli.

Shakeel went on to score a half-century in the second ODI as fans drew more comparisons between him and Kohli. Some even joked that he was 'left-handed Kohli of Pakistan'.

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#2 Shakeel finished runners-up with Pakistan U-19s in U-19 World Cup 2014

Before playing international cricket at the senior level, Shakeel played for Pakistan U-19s. He represented the Boys in Green at the U-19 World Cup in 2014, where they finished runners-up after losing to South Africa U-19s in the final.

Shakeel played in all six matches for Pakistan U-19s, scoring 127 runs. His highest score was 45, while his batting average was around 25.

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#3 Deepak Hooda dismissed him in India vs Pakistan match of U-19 World Cup 2014

Pakistan U-19s opened their campaign at the mega event against India U-19s. The Boys in Green suffered a 40-run loss in that game. Shakeel bowled one over of left-arm spin, conceding six runs without taking any wickets.

Later in the match, he scored 32 runs off 40 balls when Pakistan U-19s were chasing 263 for a win. Shakeel lost his wicket to Deepak Hooda in that game. Apart from Hooda, current Indian stars Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav and Avesh Khan also played against Shakeel in that game.

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#4 Saud Shakeel never scored a 200 in first-class cricket before

While Shakeel has been one of the most consistent batters in Pakistan's domestic tournaments, his highest score in red-ball cricket before this game was 187*. Shakeel has an average of 50.05 in first-class cricket, with 16 centuries and 23 fifties to his name.

Now, his new highest score in Test cricket and first-class cricket is 208*. Pakistan fans would hope that he continues breaking his own record.

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#5 Saud Shakeel grew up idolizing Michael Hussey

Former Australian batter Michael Hussey inspired many young left-handed batters with his game. In an interview with PakPassion.net, Shakeel revealed that he was a cricket crazy fan, with Hussey being his role model growing up.

"I was a cricket fan and liked every cricketer who played good cricket. But if I have to name one, I'd go with Mike Hussey. He was a brilliant stroke maker and used to time the ball so well that he was a treat to watch. You could watch him bat all day," said Shakeel.

In the same interview, Saud Shakeel mentioned that if he had to take a name from Pakistan, it would have been Saeed Anwar's. He concluded by saying that he liked Anwar's style and elegance.