Pakistan’s young batter Hasan Nawaz has rejoined defending champions Desert Vipers for the fifth edition of the International League T20 (ILT20), replacing England’s Aneurin Donald.
The 24-year-old returns to the franchise after being part of its title-winning campaign in the previous season, with the upcoming tournament scheduled to take place from November 21 to December 20.
Nawaz has been drafted into the squad after Donald, who was signed during the recent ILT20 auction, became unavailable following his selection for England’s upcoming T20I series against Australia in November and December.
The Pakistan batter’s return further strengthens the Vipers’ contingent of Pakistani players, which already includes Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah.
Desert Vipers chief executive Phil Oliver welcomed Nawaz back to the franchise while also congratulating Donald on his selection for international duty.
Notably, Nawaz was part of the Vipers squad that clinched the ILT20 Season 4 title earlier this year, although he struggled to make a significant impact with the bat.
The right-handed batter managed 124 runs in the tournament at an average of 15.50 and a strike rate of 126.53. However, he made an important contribution in the field, taking 12 catches in 13 matches during the championship-winning campaign.
Since then, Nawaz has shown improvement in his batting performances across different T20 competitions. He scored 291 runs in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at an average of 32.33 and a strike rate of 134.10, demonstrating greater consistency in the shortest format.
The young batter subsequently represented Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), where he accumulated 220 runs.
Nawaz finished as the joint-leading run-scorer for the Falcons alongside Evin Lewis as the franchise went on to secure the CPL title.