Zaheer Khan is an Indian cricketer who is in the Indian cricket team from 2000. He is a left arm fast bowler and could swing the ball both ways. He is the leading pace bowler of the team and he also uses reverse swing. He was injured and forced out of the team in 2004. He returned back again after a year. He was born on 7th October 1978 in Shrirampur town in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. He was selected in 2000 for his debut match and played for National Cricket Academy, Bangalore and played against Bangladesh. His ODI debut was against Kenya at Nairobi during the ICC Knockout Trophy in 2000. Due to his inferior performance against Pakistan in 2006 tour, he was dropped from the team. He got Man of the Match award for playing Ranji Trophy of 2000-01 season, against Railways. He started to play for Mumbai in 2006-07 Cricket season and in the final match against Bengal, he took 9 wickets.

In 2006, he signed for Worcestershire County Cricket Club in England and became the first Worcestershire player to take 10 wickets on debut. He was recalled to the Test and ODI team to the tour of South Africa as both Irfan Pathan and Munaf Patel are injured. His performances in the tour led to his selection in the 2007 World Cup. He won the Man of the Match award in the Test against Australia in 2008-09 series and scored half century and five wickets in the match against Australia. He also won Man of the Match award in the 2009 T20 World Cup match against Ireland. He also played 2011 World Cup and was the leading wicket taker in the tournament. He has taken over 250 wickets in the Test match. He holds the highest record in the world in the Test match by a number 11 player, he got 75 against Bangladesh in the year 2004. In 2011 he was conferred with the Arjuna Award, India's second highest sporting award by the President of India.