Shahbaz Ahmed plays a shot during the third day of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 cricket match between Bengal and Gujarat, at Eden Gardens, in Kolkata. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)
Moving roughly 1,500 kilometers away from his hometown to the heartland of West Bengal, Shahbaz was determined to make it in the ultra-competitive Kolkata club circuit. His break came when local club Tapan Memorial gave him a chance in Division 1 club cricket. Taking an enormous leap of faith, he decided to leave his engineering studies on hold and packed his bags for Kolkata. To stay afloat and cover basic living expenses, he washed utensils and took up odd tasks while living in local club quarters and modest accommodation. Shahbaz grabbed it with both hands, scorching the local scene by scoring six hundreds in seven matches alongside a heap of wickets.
His impressive outings paved the way for an international call-up, making his ODI debut for Team India against South Africa in October 2022 and later playing in the 2023 Asian Games. After drifting out of national reckoning, Shahbaz made a statement in the opening leg of the domestic season. Representing East Zone in the Duleep Trophy against North East Zone, he showcased his full repertoire as a elite match-winner.
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