Unique | How he switched to thriller spin, lately rattled India A… : All about MI’s new recruit Allah Ghazanfar | Cricket Information – Instances of India

NEW DELHI: It is simply over a month since India A needed to undergo a crushing defeat within the semi-final of the ACC Males’s T20 Rising Groups Asia Cup 2024 by the hands of Afghanistan A, the eventual winner of the event.
The match noticed Tilak Varma’s group get knocked out of the event after a sensational opening spell from Allah Ghazanfar, who took the important thing wickets of openers Prabhsimran Singh and Abhishek Sharma, dealing a blow to India’s hopes of lifting the trophy.
Quick ahead to right now, and Ghazanfar is about to share the dressing room with India’s prime 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 on the IPL 2025 mega public sale, marking the start of an thrilling new chapter in his cricketing profession.
The Rise of Allah Ghazanfar: A New Sensation
Raees Ahmadzai, the coach who was within the Afghanistan A dug-out as Ghazanfar rattled India after which grew to become Man of the Match within the ultimate in opposition to Sri Lanka, spoke solely to TimesofIndia.com in regards to the rising star in Afghanistan cricket.
“Allah Ghazanfar was with me throughout the Asia Cup in Oman, and he actually deserves to play within the IPL,” Ahmadzai stated. “The way in which he bowled, you could possibly see he is having fun with his cricket. He is a assured younger man who loves challenges. He desires to attain one thing important in life. I bear in mind throughout the event, he advised me, ‘I need to bowl the primary over, and I’ll get them out.’ And he did precisely that.”
Ahmadzai went on to explain Ghazanfar as an “easygoing” participant who works to enhance his skillset day by day. “He is batter as nicely. Whereas he must work on his fielding—he isn’t a foul fielder, however there’s room for enchancment—he is an excellent bowler who can even hit large photographs when given the prospect,” he added whereas mentioning Ghazanfar’s spectacular 31 not out from 15 balls in opposition to South Africa in a latest ODI.
Higher than Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman?
Ghazanfar’s bowling statistics have already caught the eye of many, together with his coach. Ghazanfar has maintained a superior T20 economic system price (5.71) in comparison with famend spinners Rashid Khan (6.48) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (6.76), each of whom have been stalwarts for Afghanistan within the shortest format.
Moreover, Ghazanfar has a greater bowling common (18.15) and strike price (12.20) than Rashid and Mujeeb. Rashid’s bowling strike price stands at 16.70, whereas Mujeeb’s is 21.10. These spectacular numbers mirror his potential, particularly contemplating that he’s simply beginning out in his profession.
“He has a extremely good selection in his bowling,” Ahmadzai famous. “I can recall a match in opposition to Sri Lanka within the Rising Asia Cup, the place their captain was Nuwanidu Fernando. The night time earlier than, we had deliberate how you can bowl to him, and the subsequent day, Ghazanfar executed it completely. The batter thought he was an off-spinner, so we introduced mid-on up and despatched mid-off again throughout the powerplay. The batsman will need to have thought, ‘What sort of silly planning is that this for an off-break bowler?’ What he did not know was that Ghazanfar’s supply would pitch and switch away, similar to a leg-break. The batter tried stepping out to play it over mid-on however ended up getting stumped. This reveals how nicely Ghazanfar reads the batsman.”

A Distinctive Journey: From Quick Bowling to Spin
Ghazanfar’s journey to turning into a spinner has an fascinating backstory. Ahmadzai revealed that Ghazanfar initially began as a quick bowler earlier than coach Rozi Khan seen his potential and recommended a change to spin bowling attributable to his sturdy, muscular arms and talent to land the ball constantly in the proper areas.
“He performed all his academy cricket in Kabul, and that is the place his transition to spin bowling occurred. In the course of the Rising Groups Asia Cup, I spoke to him and advised him, ‘Brother, you need not attempt too many alternative issues. And you do not have to intention to take a wicket on each ball. The higher your economic system price, the extra your confidence will develop,’” Ahmadzai added.
Ghazanfar Comparisons
Regardless of being firstly of his profession, Ghazanfar has already been in comparison with Afghanistan’s two best-known spinners, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan. Nonetheless, former Afghan cricketer Ahmadzai sees Ghazanfar’s bowling motion considerably just like India’s Varun Chakravarthy.
“Mujeeb has his personal class. He is been excellent in such a fast-paced recreation. He is turn out to be a task mannequin for a lot of. However the actions of Ghazanfar and Varun Chakravarthy are virtually related. What units them aside is how they range their strategy—typically coming near the wicket, different instances extensive of the crease. This versatility helps him plan his deliveries primarily based on the batsman’s actions,” Ahmadzai defined.
Mumbai Indians’ New Addition: Not Only a Bowler
Ahmadzai additionally hinted at Ghazanfar’s potential position within the Mumbai Indians setup, suggesting that the younger bowler might open the innings with the brand new ball.
“He’s a correct bowler. When the necessity arises, he can hit the ball. However he isn’t only a slogger who hits solely round mid-on or mid-wicket. He can hit further cowl, over mid-off, straight down the bottom, and even hit spinners down the wicket. His principal focus needs to be on bowling, and calling him an all-rounder at this stage would not be acceptable,” he concluded.