Fakhar Zaman has taken a playful dig at Desert Vipers bowling coach Azhar Mahmood in a conversation the franchise shared on social media.
Speaking to Azhar, Fakhar said he watches him closely and learns from him. “Azhar bhai, we keep watching you here and we learn a lot from you,” he said. He added that watching Azhar has made his life a little easier and pushed him to change a lot within himself, calling it a huge favour.
Azhar smiled and asked, “Which change are you talking about?”
Fakhar’s answer drew laughter. “The way you carry yourself, along with bhabhi,” he said, laughing as he spoke.
Azhar serves as the Vipers’ fast bowling coach. He rejoined the franchise for Season 4 of the ILT20 after missing Season 3 because of his work with the Pakistan men’s team, and said at the time that it felt like home to be back.
Fakhar joined the Vipers in Season 3 and scored 222 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 134.54, including two half-centuries. The franchise says he has scored 482 runs in 21 matches across his first two seasons with the team. He made 20 in the Season 4 final on January 4, 2026, when the Vipers beat MI Emirates by 46 runs to win the title.
The Vipers brought Fakhar back for Season 5, signing him at his base price of $80,000 at the October 1, 2026 auction. Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan also signed with the team at $80,000 each.
