He toured England in 1954 and the West Indies in 1957–58 with the Pakistan team but did not play Test cricket.
A middle-order batsman and fast-medium bowler, Elahi made his first-class debut in Pakistan in 1952–53.
[3] Elahi played in the Karachi team that won the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in 1954–55, taking three wickets in the final.
[6] He toured the West Indies later that season, but played only three first-class matches, making 27 runs and taking one wicket.
[8] The next season, he made his highest score, 73, putting on 168 for the sixth wicket with Hanif Mohammad when Karachi again beat Bahawalpur by an innings.