Young Spinner AM Ghazanfar Suffers Injury Blow
Afghanistan’s rising spin sensation, AM Ghazanfar, has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025 due to a serious back injury. The 18-year-old right-arm fingerspinner sustained a fracture in the L4 vertebra, which will keep him out of action for at least four months, as confirmed by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).
Injury Traced Back to Zimbabwe Tour
The injury was first detected during Afghanistan’s tour of Zimbabwe late last year, but Ghazanfar continued to play in the UAE’s ILT20 league for MI Emirates in January. However, his performances were below expectations, picking up just one wicket in three matches while conceding runs at an economy rate of 9.48.
Ghazanfar to Miss IPL 2025
This injury is a major setback for Ghazanfar, who had recently secured his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) contract with Mumbai Indians. With IPL 2025 scheduled from March 21 to May 25, he will miss out on the opportunity to showcase his talent on the world’s biggest T20 stage.
Nangeyalia Kharote Named as Replacement
To fill the void, 20-year-old left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote, who was originally in the reserves list, has been called up to the main squad. Kharote last played for Afghanistan in the ODI series against Bangladesh in November 2024, where he was instrumental in Afghanistan’s victory in the second match, claiming 3 for 28.
Afghanistan’s Spin Arsenal Remains Strong
Despite losing Ghazanfar, Afghanistan still boasts a formidable spin attack, led by the likes of Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, and Mohammad Nabi. However, star spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman remains unavailable, having not played ODIs since the 2023 World Cup. The ACB has confirmed that Mujeeb is out indefinitely until he fully recovers from his unspecified fitness concerns.
Afghanistan Squad for Champions Trophy 2025
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt)
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Ikram Alikhil (wk)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
- Sediqullah Atal
- Rahmat Shah (vice-capt)
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Gulbadin Naib
- Mohammad Nabi
- Rashid Khan
- Fareeh Ahmad
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Nangeyalia Kharote
- Naveed Zadran
- Noor Ahmad
With the Champions Trophy approaching, Afghanistan will hope that their world-class spin attack can still be a major force despite Ghazanfar’s unfortunate absence.(cricket betting sites)