Afghanistan has also been hit by the wave of injuries affecting teams ahead of the Champions Trophy, with young spin sensation Allah Mohammad (AM) Ghazanfar ruled out due to a fracture in his L4 vertebra. The 18-year-old off-spinner, who has been making headlines in the cricketing world, will be sidelined for at least four months, forcing him to miss both the Champions Trophy and the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
To replace Ghazanfar, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has called up left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote from the reserves for the Champions Trophy. The 20-year-old last represented Afghanistan in November 2024 during an ODI series against Bangladesh, where he delivered an impressive performance, taking 3 wickets for 28 runs in the second match.
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Ghazanfar reportedly sustained the injury during Afghanistan’s tour of Zimbabwe late last year but still participated in three matches for MI Emirates in the ILT20 this January. His underwhelming performances—bowling just 7.1 overs across three games and taking one wicket at an economy rate of 9.48—raised concerns about his fitness.
As a result of this injury, Ghazanfar will also miss the IPL 2025 season, where he was set to debut for Mumbai Indians after securing his first contract.
Afghanistan’s Final Squad for the Champions Trophy
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (C)
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Ikram Alikhil (WK)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK)
- Sediqullah Atal
- Rahmat Shah (VC)
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Gulbadin Naib
- Mohammad Nabi
- Rashid Khan
- Fareeh Ahmad
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Nangeyalia Kharote
- Naveed Zadran
- Noor Ahmad
With Ghazanfar now ruled out, Afghanistan will have to quickly adapt to this late change as they prepare for their first-ever Champions Trophy campaign.
