| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (2001-06-22)22 June 2001 (age 24) Birgunj,Nepal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Wicket-keeper-batter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Aarif Sheikh (brother) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 24) | 7 September 2021 v PNG | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 8 June 2025 v Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 32) | 17 April 2021 v Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 29 September 2025 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Janakpur Bolts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source:ESNPcricinfo,1 October 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Aasif Sheikh (Nepali:आसिफ शेख; born 22 June 2001) is a Nepalesecricketer who plays as a right-handedwicket-keeper-batsman.[1] He made his debut forNepal againstthe Netherlands in a Twenty20 International in April 2021.[2] He is renowned for his classical batting style. He has the mostODI cricket half-centuries for Nepal, with 13.[3]
He represents theArmed Police Force Club of the Prime minister domestic cup and Pokhara Paltan of the Pokhara Premier League.[4]
Sheikh plays forPanchakanya Tej in theEverest Premier League. He scored an unbeaten 111 runs in the final of the2016 Everest Premier League,[5] helping his team to win the maidenEPL title.[6] He was the leading run-scorer of the tournament, where he scored 202 runs in six matches at an average of 44.00.[7]
He led the Nepalese Under-19 team in the2018 Quadrangular Cricket Tournament in India.[8] Later, he was named the skipper of theNepal national under-19 cricket team for the2018 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup.[9] He also played for the Under-19 side in the2019 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup.[10]
After being the second highest scorer of the tournament in the2021 Prime Minister Cup, where he scored 206 runs in five innings at an average of 41.20, he was selected in the 18-member national team for the closed camps for the T20I series againstQatar.[11][12] However, the tour was eventually postponed due to the increasingCOVID-19 cases inQatar.[13]
Sheikh was subsequently selected in the 15-member national squad for the2020–21 Nepal Tri-Nation Series[14] and made his T20I debut againstNetherlands.[15] He scored an unbeaten half-century and put up a record first-wicket partnership of 116 runs for Nepal in T20Is[16] guiding his team to a 9-wicket victory.[17] He scored 42 runs in the second match of the series againstMalaysia and shared another century stand with a fellow openerKushal Bhurtel.[18][19] He scored 154 runs in the series at an average of 38.50 and a strike-rate of 138.73.[20]
In August 2021, Sheikh was named in Nepal'sOne Day International (ODI) squad for their seriesagainst Papua New Guinea in Oman, and their squad forround six of the2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 tournament, also in Oman.[21] He made his ODI debut on 7 September 2021, for Nepal againstPapua New Guinea.[22]
In March 2023, Sheikh scored his first century in ODIs duringa match against Papua New Guinea.[23]
In May 2024, he was named in Nepal's squad for the2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament.[24]
ODI
He was named as the recipient of the 2022ICC Spirit of Cricket Award at the2022 ICC Awards in recognition of his act on his decision not to runout Irish playerAndy McBrine during a T20I fixture in February 2022 betweenIreland andNepal which was played as a part of theQuadrangular series held in Oman.[27][28] Mcbrine collided with the bowler and fell down halfway up the pitch. Sheikh allowed Mcbrine to complete the run, and subsequently became the first player from Nepal to win the ICC's Spirit of Cricket Award.[29]
