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Imran Khan, a name that has become household in Pakistan for sporting as well as political impact that the man has had on the country over several decades. The journey, though, started as a cricketer in 1971 when he was 124 days shy of turning nineteen. Today, the Pakistani legend completes two years of being a septuagenarian.

Khan made his debut against England at the Edgbaston in Birmingham. An ace pacer and a handy bat in the middle-order, Khan soon established himself as a regular feature in the Pakistan squad. He also became one of the first men in the squad to adapt to the then coming-of-age one-day format.

Many would also remember Imran Khan as one of the top all-rounders in world cricket at that point in time. The then Fab-four (of all-rounders as it was at that point in time) comprised of Sir Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Richard Hadlee and Imran, all of whom remain as evergreen legends of the game.

Representing Pakistan in 88 Tests, Khan’s all-rounder skills were on display to the maximum, as he ended up scoring 3,807 runs and 362 wickets at averages of 37.69 and 22.81, respectively. Till date, the Punjab-born holds the feat of having 3000+ runs and 300+ wickets. And that labels his greatness that led to the rise of the game in Pakistan.

Speaking more of his impact on cricket in Pakistan, Imran Khan was the name that did for the country what Kapil Dev for India, i.e., winning an ODI World Cup. In 1992, the talismanic all-rounder came out of retirement to lead Pakistan to their first and only title in the format till date.

The World Cup was not his only success as a leader, though. Khan also headed the position as an administrator for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). If that weren’t enough, he also went on to assume the top-most position in Pakistan, the country. He was elected as the Prime Minister between 2018 and 2022.

The legend of Imran Khan will forever be remembered as a story that brought commercialization of cricket, and led to the beginning of modern-day cricket.