Afghanistan spinner Allah Ghaznafar is trending on social media for removing both Zimbabwe’s openers during the ongoing final ODI. Taking place at Harare Sports Club, the spinner showcased his brilliance removing Ben Curran and Joylord Gumbie on mediocre scores of 12 and 3, respectively.
He recently struck a jackpot in the IPL 2025 auction as Mumbai Indians bagged him for ₹4.8 crore for the upcoming season. The 18-year-old has been in sensational form, especially after his match-winning show against Bangladesh in the recently concluded ODI series. His effective spells have drawn attention from cricket fans as well as franchises.
The young spinner’s price went through a battle for auction in the Indian Premier League. Kolkata Knight Riders, his previous franchise, also showed interest but could not take it away from Mumbai Indians. Adding Afghanistan spinner Allah Ghazanfar enhances the spin department of the Mumbai Indians, and with that, they become almost an invincible team this season.
Afghanistan Spinner Allah Ghaznafar Journey From Pacer to Mystery Spinner
Afghan spinner Allah Ghazanfar started cricketing as a fast bowler. However, it was former Afghanistan captain Dawlat Ahmadzai who saw a potential spinner in him and shifted him to become a mystery bowler. Ghazanfar’s hidden skills were unearthed during the 2024 U-19 World Cup when he scalped eight wickets from four games.
He received a call-up to the senior team and made his ODI debut against Ireland. Allah Ghazanfar of Afghanistan continued his ascendancy as he won the Player of the Match award in the Emerging Asia Cup final, where Afghanistan won the title.
From KKR to Mumbai Indians
Allah Ghazanfar had been part of the title-winning squad of Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024 but did not get any opportunities to play any match. Still, his ascendency in international cricket made him stay in the view of the franchises of the Indian Premier League. Now, the Afghanistan spinner will represent the Mumbai Indians and add another new chapter to his journey in the Indian Premier League.
The auction also witnessed big buys like Bhuvneshwar Kumar joining Royal Challengers Bangalore for ₹10.75 crore and Deepak Chahar moving from Chennai Super Kings to Mumbai Indians in a high-profile switch.
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