Haris Rauf

Haris Rauf attended the Islamabad Model College for Boys I-8/3, where he was more active in football than cricket during his teenage years. He was even recognized as a top player in regional football tournaments.

He later enrolled at the International Islamic University in Islamabad to study Information Technology. It was during his university years in 2017 that he was encouraged by his coach to attend the Lahore Qalandars trials, which effectively ended his formal academic pursuit in favor of professional cricket.

Haris Rauf's professional career began when he was spotted by Aaqib Javed during the Lahore Qalandars talent hunt in Gujranwala in 2017. He was immediately signed to a contract and sent to Australia to play for the Hawkesbury Cricket Club to gain experience with the hard ball. His T20 debut came in 2018 for the Qalandars in an Abu Dhabi tournament, where his extreme pace immediately made headlines across the cricketing world.

In 2019, he made a sensational debut in the Big Bash League for the Melbourne Stars, replacing the injured Dale Steyn. Rauf took a five-wicket haul in just his second match and a hat-trick later in the season, becoming the first Pakistani to do so in the BBL. These performances fast-tracked him into the Pakistan national team, making his T20I debut against Bangladesh in early 2020 and his ODI debut later that year.

One of the high points of his career was the 2022 T20 World Cup, where he was instrumental in Pakistan reaching the final, consistently taking wickets in the middle and death overs. He also helped Lahore Qalandars win consecutive PSL titles in 2022 and 2023. By 2025, he had crossed the milestone of 100 T20I wickets, joining an elite list of Pakistani bowlers. Despite a brief suspension in late 2025 for on-field gestures, he returned to lead the attack in early 2026.

In the 2026 PSL season, Haris has been one of the leading wicket-takers for the Qalandars, often bowling the high-pressure final overs. His ability to mix 150 kph thunderbolts with well-disguised slower balls has kept him relevant in an era of high-scoring games. He has also expressed a renewed interest in Test cricket, aiming to prove his skills in the red-ball format if given proper preparation time.

As of May 2026, Rauf is considered one of the top five fastest bowlers active in world cricket. His career is marked by a high strike rate and a knack for taking wickets of top-tier batsmen. He continues to play for several global franchises, representing teams like San Francisco Unicorns and Welsh Fire, solidifying his reputation as a premier T20 globetrotter.

Haris Rauf was born into a working-class family in Rawalpindi; his father was a welder in the Pakistan Public Works Department. Before his cricket career took off, Rauf worked at a mobile shop and played tape-ball cricket to support his family financially. He often credits his humble beginnings for the grit he shows on the cricket field.

In December 2022, Haris married his classmate Muzna Masood Malik in a traditional ceremony in Islamabad. The couple celebrated their wedding events again in July 2023 with several of his national teammates in attendance. He is known to be very close to his family and often mentions the sacrifices his father made to help him reach this level.

His hobbies include playing football and traveling. He is known for his intense celebrations on the field, though he is remarkably soft-spoken and humble off it. He recently became a brand ambassador for several major sports and lifestyle brands in Pakistan, using his platform to promote fitness and health among the youth in Rawalpindi.