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Younis Khan (Pashto, Urdu: محمد یونس خان) (born 29 November 1977, Mardan, Pakistan) is a Pakistani cricketer and former captain of the Pakistan national cricket team.^[3][4] He is the highest run scorer for Pakistan in Test Cricket and the only Pakistani player to score over 9,000 test runs. He is also the third Pakistani player to score 300 or more runs in an innings.^[5] Like Imran Khan, he is most remembered for his leadership as he led Pakistan to victory during the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. He also holds the record for most centuries by a Pakistani cricketer in test cricket.

On 24 October 2015, he became the first Pakistani and 14th overall to score 9,000 runs in Test Cricket.

On 10 March 2010, Younis, along with another player, Mohammad Yousuf were axed by the Pakistan Cricket Board from playing for Pakistan in any format for an indefinite period, following an inquiry report which suggested that both players were involved in breaches of discipline by inciting divisions within the team.^[6] The ban was lifted three months later.^[7] Presently Younis is a key member in the ODI and Test match side. By 22 October 2014, Younis reached his 25th test match century against Australia and made his 26th century in the 2nd innings of the same test match, the highest number of centuries of a Pakistani Batsman and the only sixth Pakistani batsman to hit centuries in both innings of same test match.^[8] On 25 June 2015, Younis Khan became fifth Pakistani cricketer to play 100 test matches and on 13 October 2015, he became Pakistan's highest run scorer in test cricket by breaking previous record set by Javed Miandad of 8,832 runs.

Younis Khan made his international debut in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Karachi in February 2000, and has since played over 150 ODIs for Pakistan. He has also played in over 100 Test matches. Younis was one of the few batsmen who retained his place in the team after Pakistan's disastrous World Cup campaign in 2003, but lost it soon after due to a string of poor scores in the home series against Bangladesh and South Africa. He came back for the one-day series against India, but failed to cement a place in the Test side.

It was his return to the side in October 2004, at the pivotal one-down, against Sri Lanka in Karachi that laid the groundwork for his emergence as a force in Pakistan cricket. Younis was the top run-getter in the disastrous 3–0 whitewash in Australia immediately after and on the tour of India, for which he was elevated to vice-captain. After a horror start to the series, he came back strongly, capping things off with 267 in the final Test. It was his highest Test score that came off 504 balls in the first innings, to set up a series levelling victory in Bangalore.

Apart from being an accomplished batsman, Younis is also a skilled slip fielder and a very occasional leg-spin bowler. Once, Craig McMillan hit Younis for 26 runs, 4 4 4 4 6 4 in an over, a then world record, during 3rd Test at Westpac Trust Park, Hamilton.^[11] He has performed particularly well on foreign grounds, including on tours of Australia, India, England and Sri Lanka. In the six Tests he has played against India, Younis averages an exceptional 106, the highest average against India by a Pakistani cricketer.^[12] Apart from his 267 at Bangalore, Younis also made 147 at Kolkata in 2005 and a pair of centuries during India's trip to Pakistan in 2006. More importantly, the tour to India also showcased his potential as a future captain of Pakistan and his energetic and astute leadership has impressed many people. Also in 2006, Younis made a century in the third Test against England at Headingley. On 22 January 2007, he scored a matchwinning 67 not out in the 4th innings to guide Pakistan to victory over South Africa in Port Elizabeth. The five wicket win levelled the series at 1–1.

In 2005, he was one of the 15 nominees for the ICC Test Player of the Year. He is the second fastest Pakistani in terms of innings to reach 4000 Test runs, behind Javed Miandad. Younis reached the milestone in 87 innings, just one more than Sachin Tendulkar took.^[13]

Younis Khan topped the ICC's Test Batting Rankings in February 2009 after an acclaimed innings of 313 in his first test as captain, in the process of helping save the match for Pakistan.^[14] His ranking score of 880 is the third highest achieved by a Pakistani batsmen after Mohammad Yousuf (933), Javed Miandad (885) and just ahead of Inzamam-ul-Haq

Achievements

• He is first Pakistani to score 9,000+ runs in test cricket.
• Younis Khan's 31 centuries are the highest number of test centuries by a Pakistani.
• In the third test against Sri Lanka on July 6, Younis Khan became the first Test batsman in history to score five centuries in the fourth innings.
• Younis Khan and Muhammad Yousuf hold the record of most runs as partners in test cricket for Pakistan.^[51]
• Younis Khan has 5 double centuries in test matches.
• Younis Khan became only the third Pakistani to score a triple century in test matches when he scored 313 against Sri Lanka in Karachi on 21 February 2009.
• Younis Khan is the only Pakistani to score a test hundred against every other 9 test playing nations and 12th International player to achieve this milestone.
• Younis Khan became the third Pakistani to reach 8500 runs in test cricket on 6 May 2015.^[52] He was the 28th batsman overall.
• Younis Khan was the 5th fastest batsman to reach 7500 runs, achieving the feat in just 90 matches.
• Younis Khan holds the record of most away centuries for a Pakistani (23), this is the second highest overall.
• Younis Khan is the first (and the only) Pakistani cricketer to take 100 catches in test matches.
• Younis Khan has now scored 4000+ runs at number 3 in Test which is most by any Pakistan Cricketer with average in excess of 50's.
• Younis Khan has most number of centuries (6) after the age of 35 among Pakistani cricketers.
• Younis Khan has scored three consecutive Test hundreds against Australia, a feat. only shared by Herbert Sutcliffe, back in 1924–25.
• Younis Khan is the only batsman to have 60+ average in all the four innings of tests.
• Younis Khan has Most Hundreds (31) among active test cricketers.^[53]
• Younis Khan is involved in 63 hundred run partnerships in tests cricket Same as Kumar Sangakkara and 1 More than Brian Lara.^[