 "Allah Ghazanfar holds up the ball after taking a five-fer against Zimbabwe. Image: ACB")
Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians faced a major setback on Wednesday, 12 February, as the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed that their star spinner Allah Ghazanfar will be out of action for at least four months. Ghazanfar sustained an injury while playing for Afghanistan in Zimbabwe last year, ruling him out of the upcoming IPL 2025 season, expected to start in late March.
The 18-year-old mystery spinner, who has played one Test and 11 ODIs for Afghanistan, was signed by Mumbai Indians for INR 4.80 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction. His injury has now forced Mumbai Indians to look for a replacement.
Allah Ghazanfar’s potential replacements
With Allah Ghazanfar’s absence confirmed, Mumbai Indians must now explore options to fill the void in their spin department. Here are some of the likely candidates to replace the bowler:
Mujeeb Ur Rahman: Having gone unsold in the IPL 2025 auction, Mujeeb presents a strong option for MI. Given that Ghazanfar has a similar bowling action to Mujeeb, the franchise might consider him as a replacement.
Nangyal Kharoti: The young Afghan spinner recently replaced Ghazanfar in Afghanistan’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. MI could consider him as a like-for-like replacement.
Adil Rashid: The experienced England leg-spinner could be another viable option for MI. Rashid’s experience in international cricket and his ability to trouble batters with his variations make him a strong contender.
Mumbai Indians secured Allah Ghazanfar after an intense bidding war with Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL 2025 mega auction in November last year. Interestingly, Ghazanfar had been signed by KKR as a replacement for Mujeeb Ur Rahman in IPL 2024 at a base price of INR 20 lakh. However, he couldn’t perform the role for them because of visa issues.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsGhazanfar had once again found a team that was willing to provide him with an opportunity to play in the IPL, but due to an unfortunate injury, his IPL dream will be delayed yet again.