Meet 15-year-old Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, youngest player in IPL auction

With the Indian Premier League (IPL) set to start once again in March 2023, all eyes are now on the tournament’s mini-auction. Set to be held on 23 December in Kochi, the IPL 2023 auction will see 405 players go under the hammer.

One of them is Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, a 15-year-old mystery spinner from Afghanistan. The youngest player to have registered for this edition’s auction, the teenager has listed himself in the Rs 20 lakh price bracket. Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar’s inclusion in the IPL auction makes him the latest in the long line of Afghan players who are competing in franchise cricket and includes Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

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Who is Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar?

The 15-year-old Afghan spinner hails from Afghanistan’s Paktia province. Around 6 ft 2 inches tall, he initially started off as a pacer but transformed into a spinner under the tutelage of former Afghanistan skipper Dawlat Ahmadzai. Ghazanfar had earlier registered for the Big Bash League auction but did not find any takers.

In an interview with Sportstar, Ghazanfar opened up about his initial days in the sport. “I started with tennis ball cricket and would play in my neighbourhood, but under the guidance of my coach, I started bowling spin, and soon, I developed an action, and there hasn’t been any looking back since.”

The IPL was officially launched on 13.9.2007.

Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, the youngest on this year’s IPL shortlist, was only two months old then.

We may soon have an IPL player younger than the IPL. Maybe next year?

— Abhishek Mukherjee (@ovshake42) December 14, 2022

After playing in local Under-16 tournaments, Ghazanfar got the chance to train with the Afghanistan Under-19 players. He made his debut with Mis Ainak Knights in the Shpageeza League. He has claimed 5 wickets in three games for the team. The teenager regards Ravichandran Ashwin as his inspiration.

Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar’s ultimate aim is to play for his national team and he believes that the Indian Premier League will help him learn from experienced players and fulfill his dream.

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IPL 2023 Auction:

The TATA IPL 2023 auction will see the tournament’s ten franchises bidding for the likes of Joe Root, Sam Curran, Ben Stokes, Mayank Agarwal, Kane Williamson, and Ajinkya Rahane. Out of the total cricketers up for auction, 132 are overseas players and 273 are Indians.

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