5 things to know about Mohammad Shahzad

#3 Most T20I runs in 2015

Shahzad had a great year in T20I cricket in 2015

Another record that proves what a good year the Afghanistan opener has had in 2015 is that he was at the top of the list for run-getters in T20Is in the previous calendar year.

Shahzad scored 297 runs in 11 matches at an average of 27. Although his average was not very impressive, a strike rate of 157.22 that he maintained on average speaks about the early impact he creates at the start of the innings for Afghanistan.

South African T20I captain, Faf du Plessis was second in the list with 272 runs to his name in six games. Three Afghanistan batsmen in all make the top ten of the T20I run-getters list in 2015.

The 27-year-old is the first Afghan player to reach 1000 runs in T20I cricket, 1000 runs in first-class cricket and 1000 runs in List A cricket.

Shahzad also shares the highest number of sixes hit in T20Is in 2015 along with the West Indian T20 legend, Chris Gayle. Both hit 15 sixes in 2015. However, it has to be noticed that Shahzad took 11 matches to hit those many sixes while Gayle needed only two matches to hit 15 biggies.

If Shahzad can continue where he left in the series against Zimbabwe at the start of 2016, then Afghanistan's chances of making it to the World T20 from the Qualifiers will be significantly boosted.