AM Ghazanfar

Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar came through as one of Afghanistan's many bright spin prospects in the 2020s. Hailing from Paktia and raised in Kabul, he began as a fast bowler but switched to offspin during the Covid lockdown and developed his game as a spinner under the mentorship of former Afghanistan captain Dawlat Ahmadzai.

He first gained attention in the Shpageeza League playing for Mis Ainak Knights, and followed that up with a miserly campaign at the 2024 Under-19 World Cup, where he took eight wickets at under 3.5 apiece.

He was a key figure in Afghanistan A's triumphant Emerging Asia Cup run that year, picking up the Player of the Match award in the final, and his senior debut came in 2024 too, at just 16, against Ireland in Sharjah. His 6 for 26 against Bangladesh later in the year were Afghanistan's second-best ODI figures at the time. Ghazanfar's exploits found him a place in the ICC's ODI Team of the Year.

He became the youngest player up for grabs in the IPL auction in 2023, and was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders the following year as a replacement for his fellow Afghan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman. Though he didn't feature that season, Mumbai Indians backed his potential, giving him a sizeable contract in 2025. Injury sidelined him from that year's IPL season but he was involved around the world with Derbyshire, MI Emirates, Rangpur Riders, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Colombo Strikers.