Forget Saim Ayub; Maaz Sadaqat is Pakistan's new explosive future

Soumyajit Dutta

Maaz Sadaqat after playing a match-winning knock against IND A [Source: @dhillow_/X.com]Maaz Sadaqat after playing a match-winning knock against IND A [Source: @dhillow_/X.com]

Maaz Sadaqat, a 20-year-old batting all-rounder from the streets of Peshawar, a left-handed monster who just flayed the mammoth in the ongoing Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament. This draws almost a pretty good parallel to Pakistan's yesterday's news, Saim Ayub.

The peak of Saim Ayub was in the year 2024. The year when he rose in front of giants to notch unrivalled totals. His impact was such that it even broke the Babar Azam-Fakhar Zaman pair as he made it to the opening slot. But fast forward to the end of 2025, and Ayub is now more of a specialist spinner than a top-order batter, given his unlikely averages with the bat.

But, this is not about Ayub at all. This is about getting over Ayub, as Pakistan might have found their new sensation, their new flamboyant left-handed top-order batter, Maaz Sadaqat.

Sadaqat has got solid credentials to make it to the big league

Maaz Sadaqat's first T20 outing was for the Stallions during the Champions T20 Cup in December 2024, where he was underwhelming. However, his average of 41.75 from the 22 T20s he has played since speaks of a promise that the Men in Green might want to nurture for the future.

Notably, Sadaqat has got his maiden first-class hundred, maiden List A hundred, a fifty on PSL debut and two POTM awards in the Asia Cup Rising Stars, to map out his growth trajectory in the last one year.

Against India A on November 16, 2025, in the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament, Sadaqat played a heroic knock of an unbeaten 79 off just 47 balls. His innings was laced with four sixes and seven boundaries as he struck at 168.08. 

But even if we discard the numbers, it was passion and promise that glittered through his eyes as he chased down India's total almost single-handedly in the high-pressure match.

The intent and aggression that defines Sadaqat

From ball one, Sadaqat was aggressive. The opener left no chances that the India A bowlers gave them. Yes, the classy element with his bat can be worked on more, but his playing style reflects what Abhishek Sharma of India currently boasts. Brute, barbaric, and bestial.

Solid whackings to the leg side, strong hands, even stronger trajectory tracking, and overuse of stepping outside the crease to hit the spinners define Sadaqat's technique. What is even more interesting in him is what the senior team lacks. Handling the pressure.

Pakistan might lose half the battle if they come into a high-pressure chase against India but Sadaqat, even after being given a lifeline by Vaibhav Suryavanshi, by dropping a sitter, didn't stop with the barging. 

Relentless hitting resulted in Sadaqat scoring his fifty off just 31 balls as he continued with the onslaught even after his opening partner, Mohammad Naeem, and later, Yasir Khan, fell.

Can Maaz Sadaqat replace Saim Ayub anytime soon?

Confidence? Check. Beast-like hitting at the top? Check. Pressure-handling? Check.

Yes, he almost ticks all of the boxes that Pakistan might need in their senior team in the coming days, especially with the T20 World Cup 2026 knocking at the door. 

With Ayub's average dropping to 29.50 from 64.37 in ODIs and a three-point difference in T20Is too, it is about time the PCB looks up the Peshawar Zalmi player who might be the most seamless replacement for the current batter-turned-spinner Ayub.