Usman Khawaja: Profile of Australia’s Left-Handed Opener

Usman Khawaja is an Australian left-handed top-order batter who retired from international cricket in January 2026 after a Test career that began in the 2011 Ashes and ended in the fifth Test of the 2025-26 Ashes, also at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He was the first Muslim to play Test cricket for Australia, and in his final years he became one of the most productive openers in the side.

Early life and rise

Khawaja was born on 18 December 1986 in Islamabad, Pakistan, and grew up in Sydney. He played for New South Wales before moving to Queensland, where he played from 2012-13 to 2025-26 and captained the side from 2015. He made his Test debut on 3 January 2011 against England in Sydney, but he found it hard to hold a regular place in the early part of his career and was in and out of the team for several years.

Playing style

Khawaja’s reputation is built on elegant, unhurried left-handed batting; his off-spin was a minor part of his game. He plays the ball late, is strong through the off side and is at his best when he can bat for long periods against pace and spin. For much of his career he batted in the top three, and later opened.

Career highlights

His first Ashes century, 171, came at the SCG in 2018. In January 2022 he scored two centuries in the same Sydney Test against England, at the age of 35, which marked the start of the most productive phase of his career. He later made 141 against England at Edgbaston in the first Test of the 2023 Ashes and 195 not out against South Africa in Sydney in January 2023. His highest Test score, 232, came against Sri Lanka at Galle in January 2025. He finished with 16 Test centuries.

Khawaja was part of Australia's side that won the World Test Championship in the 2021-2023 cycle and the squad that reached the 2023-2025 final. At domestic level, he captained Queensland to the Sheffield Shield in 2020-21, and he won the Big Bash League with Sydney Thunder in 2015-16. He also played county cricket for Derbyshire, Lancashire and Glamorgan, and franchise cricket for Rising Pune Supergiant, Islamabad United and Brisbane Heat.

Retirement

On 2 January 2026 Khawaja announced that he would retire from international cricket after the Sydney Test against England. Australia won the series 4-1. He also retired from the Sheffield Shield at the end of Queensland’s season.