Mohammad Shafeeq

Player Overview

Mohammad Shafeeq is a Kuwait international bowler who joined MI Emirates for DP World ILT20 Season 5. Born on 21 April 1994, Shafeeq is a right-arm medium-pace bowler and right-handed batter. He has established himself as one of Kuwait’s experienced pace options through regular appearances in T20 international cricket. His official MI Emirates profile highlights his disciplined run-up, accurate line and length, and ability to attack the stumps. After building his international career with Kuwait, Shafeeq earned an opportunity to step into the ILT20 when MI Emirates selected him during the Season 5 player auction.

Playing Style

Shafeeq’s primary role is as a right-arm medium-pace bowler. His approach is based on maintaining a consistent line and length while challenging the stumps and forcing batters to take risks. MI Emirates describes him as a dependable wicket-taking option who can keep pressure on the batting side and look for breakthroughs through disciplined bowling. That style gives him a clear specialist role within the squad rather than requiring him to contribute heavily with the bat. He bats right handed when needed, but his experience and selection for MI Emirates are primarily based on his work as a pace bowler.

Which Team Does Mohammad Shafeeq Play for in ILT20?

Mohammad Shafeeq plays for MI Emirates in DP World ILT20 Season 5. The franchise selected the Kuwait bowler for USD 10,000 during the Season 5 player auction held in Dubai on 1 October 2026. He was one of 18 players MI Emirates added through the auction after the franchise had already secured Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, Romario Shepherd and Sherfane Rutherford before the auction. His selection also adds another Associate-nation international to a diverse MI Emirates squad containing players from the UAE, Afghanistan, England, South Africa, West Indies, Ireland, Jersey and other cricketing nations.

Career Background

Shafeeq has developed his career through Kuwait international cricket, representing the national team primarily as a pace bowler. His official MI Emirates profile records 45 T20 international appearances and 38 wickets, with best bowling figures of 3/28. Those numbers provide the clearest verified statistical picture of the experience he brings into the MI Emirates setup. His international record has been built through matches against Associate and regional opposition, giving him experience of competitive T20 cricket before his move into the ILT20.

For a Kuwait international, selection at the ILT20 player auction represents an opportunity to compete in a franchise environment containing established international cricketers. Shafeeq enters that setting with a defined bowling role and an international record already established for his national side.

ILT20 Record

Mohammad Shafeeq was signed by MI Emirates for Season 5, and the official sources reviewed for this profile do not provide a verified previous ILT20 playing record for him. No earlier ILT20 match or wicket totals have therefore been added to this page. The 45 matches and 38 wickets displayed on his MI Emirates profile are specifically identified as T20 international figures rather than ILT20 statistics. His move to MI Emirates consequently represents a new stage in his career, giving the Kuwait pace bowler an opportunity to establish a record in the International League T20 during the 2026 campaign.

ILT20 Season 5 Context

MI Emirates secured Shafeeq for USD 10,000 during the Season 5 auction. He was among the franchise’s lower-cost acquisitions as MI Emirates assembled a 22-player squad consisting of four pre-auction signings and 18 auction additions. Shafeeq joins a bowling department containing experienced international names such as Fazalhaq Farooqi, Chris Jordan and Lizaad Williams, as well as UAE and Afghanistan bowling options. For Shafeeq, the tournament provides an opportunity to move from international cricket with Kuwait into a high-profile franchise environment and compete for a place within a bowling attack containing players with extensive experience in major T20 competitions.

Playing Style at UAE Venues

Shafeeq’s move to MI Emirates brings his disciplined medium-pace bowling into a tournament played across the United Arab Emirates. His official franchise profile emphasises accuracy, a sharp line and effective lengths as important parts of his bowling rather than presenting him as a bowler dependent only on speed. Those attributes can give him different options when asked to maintain pressure or search for wickets. Season 5 will also allow him to work alongside experienced international fast bowlers within the MI Emirates squad, providing a new competitive environment in which to develop the skills he has already used during his Kuwait T20 international career.