Iran national cricket team
National cricket team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Iran national cricket team (Persian: تیم ملی کریکت ایران) is a cricket team representing Iran in international cricket. They became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2003[4] and an associate member in 2017.[1]
Bhutan at Kelab Aman, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ||||||||||
| Association | Islamic Republic of Iran Cricket Association | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International Cricket Council | ||||||||||
| ICC status | Associate member[1] (2017) | |||||||||
| ICC region | Asia | |||||||||
| International cricket | ||||||||||
| First international | 13 June 2004 v Bhutan at Kelab Aman, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | |||||||||
| T20 Internationals | ||||||||||
| First T20I | v  United Arab Emirates at Al Amerat Cricket Stadium Turf 2, Muscat; 23 February 2020 | |||||||||
| Last T20I | v  Kuwait at Al Amerat Cricket Stadium Turf 2, Muscat; 25 February 2020 | |||||||||
| ||||||||||
| As of 1 January 2024 | ||||||||||
History
Cricket was introduced in Iran in the 1920s and 1930s by the British who were working in the oil industry but it ceased when the oil industry was nationalised in 1951. Cricket was reintroduced in the early 1990s by Iranians who had studied abroad. Iran joined the Asian Cricket Council in 2003. Iran's men's cricket league was established in 2014 with eight teams as participants and Chah Bahar became the first winners. In the same year, women's cricket league was also established which was won by Mashhad.[citation needed]
Following their admission to the International Cricket Council, they made their international debut at the 2004 ACC Trophy, and played again in the 2006 tournament. On both occasions, they failed to progress beyond the first round. With the separation of the ACC Trophy into Elite and Challenge divisions, following their performance at the 2006 ACC Trophy Iran have since competed in the Challenge divisions in both 2009 and in the 2010 competition, finishing in the firth place on both occasions.[citation needed]
2018–present
In April 2018, the ICC decided to grant full Twenty20 International (T20I) status to all its members. Therefore, all Twenty20 matches played between Iran and other ICC members after 1 January 2019 have the full T20I status.[5]
Iran played their first T20I against UAE on 23 February 2020 during the 2020 ACC Western Region T20.[6]
As of 1 January 2024, Iran is ranked 106th in T20I Rankings by the ICC.[7]
v |
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Yousef Shadzehisarjou 14 (21) Rohan Mustafa 2/6 (4 overs) |
Rohan Mustafa 41* (18) |
- United Arab Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
- First ever T20I match for Iran.
Team colours
Tournament history
Asia Cup Qualifier
ACC Western Region T20
ACC Trophy Challenge Competitions
| Host/Year | Round/Rank |
|---|---|
 2004 Trophy | 1st round |
| 2006 Trophy | 1st round |
 2009 Challenge | 5th place |
| 2010 Challenge | 5th place |
| 2012 Challenge | 5th place[11] |
| 2023 Challenger | Group Stage |
ACC Middle East Cup
Head coaches
Records and statistics
International Match Summary — Iran[18]
Last updated 25 February 2020
| Playing Record | ||||||
| Format | M | W | L | T | NR | Inaugural Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twenty20 Internationals | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 23 February 2020 |
Twenty20 International
- Highest team total: 108/8 v Kuwait, 25 February 2020 at Al Amerat Cricket Stadium, Muscat[19]
- Highest individual score: 39, Yousef Shadzehisarjou v Kuwait, 25 February 2020 at Al Amerat Cricket Stadium, Muscat[20]
- Best individual bowling figures: 1/10, Nader Zahadiafzal v Saudi Arabia, 24 February 2020 at Al Amerat Cricket Stadium, Muscat[21]
T20I record versus other nations[18]
Records complete to T20I #1061. Last updated 25 February 2020.
| Opponent | M | W | L | T | NR | First match | First win |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs Associate Members | |||||||
| Kuwait | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 February 2020 | |
 Saudi Arabia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 February 2020 | |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 February 2020 | |
Other matches
For a list of selected international matches played by Iran, see Cricket Archive.
Other records
Limited-overs records
- Highest team total: 369/6 v China, January 13, 2009 at Gymkhana Club, Chiang Mai[22]
- Lowest team total: 29 v Nepal, June 14, 2004 at Kelab Aman, Kuala Lumpur[23]
Highest limited-overs scores for Iran
| Player | Runs | Opposition | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nariman Bakhtiar | 120 |  China | Gymkhana Club, Chiang Mai | 2009[22] |
| Shirmohammad Baloochnezhad | 119 | China | Gymkhana Club, Chiang Mai | 2009 |
Most limited-overs runs for Iran
| Player | Runs | Total matches | Career span |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shirmohammad Baloochnezhad | 420 | 14 | 2006-2012 |
| Nariman Bakhtiar | 408 | 10 | 2006-2009 |
Best bowling figures in an innings for Iran
| Bowler | Figure | Opposition | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdul Ghafar Bejarzehi | 5/55 | Saudi Arabia | Doha Entertainment City Ground, Kuwait City | 2006[24] |
| Afshin Tirehdast | 4/10 | China | Royal Chiang Mai Golf Club, Maerim | 2012[25] |
| Naiem Bameri | 4/12 | China | Terdthai Cricket Ground, Bangkok | 2010[26] |
| Raez Mehrazar | 4/30 | Bhutan | Kelab Aman, Kuala Lumpur | 2004[27] |
| Loghman Sheikhi | 4/33 |  Brunei | Prem Tinsulanonda International School, Chiang Mai | 2009[28] |
| Abdolvahab Ebrahimpour | 4/41 |  Qatar | Asian Institute of Technology Ground, Bangkok | 2010[29] |