Allah Ghazanfar may not be a familiar name in the Indian Premier League, however, he has already made waves in international matches. The 18-year-old is the next big mystery spinner to come from Afghanistan.

Ghazanfar hasn’t played any match in the Indian Premier League but in the last season, was brought in by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a replacement to another Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman. He was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ title-winning 2024 campaign. Let's take a look at reasons why Mumbai Indians chose to spend ₹4.8 Crore on the youngster

What does Allah Ghazanfar bring to the table for Mumbai Indians?

Ghazanfar played 8 international matches picking up 12 wickets. The youngster has previously featured in the T20 leagues of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. He has a decent record in T20 cricket, picking up 29 wickets in 16 matches with best figures of 4/12.

He has several variations up his sleeves including the carrom ball and wrong’un. His action is very similar to that of India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy.

Ghazanfar can also bowl at the death which can come in handy for Mumbai Indians. Earlier MI showed interest in signing him as a net bowler, though visa issues prevented that opportunity. He was also part of the 2023 IPL Auction at the age of just 15 but went unsold.

Ghazanfar’s career-best performance came against Bangladesh, where he claimed six wickets for just 26 runs in 6.3 overs. His devastating spell dismantled Bangladesh’s middle and lower order, turning a competitive match into a one-sided affair.