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NEW DELHI: It’s just over a month since India A had to suffer a crushing defeat in the semi-final of the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 at the hands of Afghanistan A, the eventual winner of the tournament.
The match saw Tilak Varma’s team get knocked out of the tournament after a sensational opening spell from Allah Ghazanfar, who took the key wickets of openers Prabhsimran Singh and Abhishek Sharma, dealing a blow to India’s hopes of lifting the trophy.
Fast forward to today, and Ghazanfar is set to share the dressing room with India’s top stars like Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, and Rohit Sharma. The 18-year-old spinner has been snapped up by Mumbai Indians for Rs 4.8 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in his cricketing career.
The Rise of Allah Ghazanfar: A New Sensation
Raees Ahmadzai, the coach who was in the Afghanistan A dug-out as Ghazanfar rattled India and then became Man of the Match in the final against Sri Lanka, spoke exclusively to TimesofIndia.com about the rising star in Afghanistan cricket.
“Allah Ghazanfar was with me during the Asia Cup in Oman, and he truly deserves to play in the IPL,” Ahmadzai said. “The way he bowled, you could see he’s enjoying his cricket. He’s a confident young guy who loves challenges. He wants to achieve something significant in life. I remember during the tournament, he told me, ‘I want to bowl the first over, and I will get them out.’ And he did exactly that.”
Ahmadzai went on to describe Ghazanfar as an “easygoing” player who works to improve his skillset every day. “He’s a good batter as well. While he needs to work on his fielding—he’s not a bad fielder, but there’s room for improvement—he’s a very good bowler who can also hit big shots when given the chance,” he added while mentioning Ghazanfar’s impressive 31 not out from 15 balls against South Africa in a recent ODI.
Better than Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman?
Ghazanfar’s bowling statistics have already caught the attention of many, including his coach. Ghazanfar has maintained a superior T20 economy rate (5.71) compared to renowned spinners Rashid Khan (6.48) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (6.76), both of whom have been stalwarts for Afghanistan in the shortest format.
Additionally, Ghazanfar has a better bowling average (18.15) and strike rate (12.20) than Rashid and Mujeeb. Rashid’s bowling strike rate stands at 16.70, while Mujeeb’s is 21.10. These impressive numbers reflect his potential, especially considering that he is just starting out in his career.
“He has a really good variety in his bowling,” Ahmadzai noted. “I can recall a match against Sri Lanka in the Emerging Asia Cup, where their captain was Nuwanidu Fernando. The night before, we had planned how to bowl to him, and the next day, Ghazanfar executed it perfectly. The batter thought he was an off-spinner, so we brought mid-on up and sent mid-off back during the powerplay. The batsman must have thought, ‘What kind of stupid planning is this for an off-break bowler?’ What he didn’t know was that Ghazanfar’s delivery would pitch and turn away, just like a leg-break. The batter tried stepping out to play it over mid-on but ended up getting stumped. This shows how well Ghazanfar reads the batsman.”
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A Unique Journey: From Fast Bowling to Spin
Ghazanfar’s journey to becoming a spinner has an interesting backstory. Ahmadzai revealed that Ghazanfar originally started as a fast bowler before coach Rozi Khan noticed his potential and suggested a switch to spin bowling due to his strong, muscular arms and ability to land the ball consistently in the right areas.
“He played all his academy cricket in Kabul, and that’s where his transition to spin bowling happened. During the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, I spoke to him and told him, ‘Brother, you don’t need to try too many different things. And you don’t have to aim to take a wicket on every ball. The better your economy rate, the more your confidence will grow,’” Ahmadzai added.
Ghazanfar Comparisons
Despite being at the start of his career, Ghazanfar has already been compared to Afghanistan’s two best-known spinners, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan. However, former Afghan cricketer Ahmadzai sees Ghazanfar’s bowling action somewhat similar to India’s Varun Chakravarthy.
“Mujeeb has his own class. He’s been outstanding in such a fast-paced game. He’s become a role model for many. But the actions of Ghazanfar and Varun Chakravarthy are almost similar. What sets them apart is how they vary their approach—sometimes coming close to the wicket, other times wide of the crease. This versatility helps him plan his deliveries based on the batsman’s movements,” Ahmadzai explained.
Mumbai Indians’ New Addition: Not Just a Bowler
Ahmadzai also hinted at Ghazanfar’s potential role in the Mumbai Indians setup, suggesting that the young bowler could open the innings with the new ball.
“He is a proper bowler. When the need arises, he can hit the ball. But he’s not just a slogger who hits only around mid-on or mid-wicket. He can hit extra cover, over mid-off, straight down the ground, and even hit spinners down the wicket. His main focus should be on bowling, and calling him an all-rounder at this stage wouldn’t be appropriate,” he concluded.
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