Before the start of the IPL 2025, Mumbai Indians got a serious blow as on Wednesday, February 12, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed that its star spinner Allah Ghazanfar will be sidelined for at least four months due to an injury he sustained while playing for the national team in Zimbabwe. Ghaznafar is expected to be absent from the cricket field for a minimum of four months.
In the IPL 2025 mega auction, the Mumbai-based franchise paid Rs 4.80 crore to sign Ghazanfar, an 18-year-old mystery spinner who has played one Test and 11 ODIs for Afghanistan so far. Mumbai was seriously interested in Ghazanafar as they acquired him after a fierce match against the Kolkata Knight Riders, which showed his importance for the balance in the MI squad.
On Wednesday morning, the Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed on X that Ghazanfar would not be participating in the 2025 Champions Trophy due to his injury.
“Afghanistan’s young spin-bowling sensation, AM Ghazanfar, has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy due to a fracture in the L4 vertebra, specifically in the left pars interarticularis. He sustained the injury during Afghanistan’s recently held tour Zimbabwe, and will be sidelined for a minimum of four months and will remain under treatment during this period,” ACB said in a release.
