Afghanistan cricket has thrived tremendously in a very short period. Since 2009, they are active in international cricket and over the years, they have emerged as a dangerous side in white-ball cricket. Their players consistently hit headlines for their phenomenal performance in international cricket. In recent years, it has also been witnessed that Afghanistan players participate in T20 franchise competitions around the world.

In the cash-rich<strong> <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" title="Indian Premier League" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League</a></strong> (IPL), a few Afghan players have registered their presence but only a few have been successful. In 2017, Rashid Khan created history by becoming the first Afghan player to play in the IPL. Since then, he has played a lot of cricket in the league and has become a renowned name. In addition to Rashid, some of the other Afghan players have also played in the T20 extravaganza.

Discussing more, here are the five best Afghanistan players who have played in the IPL:

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1682493143397_Naveen-ul-Haq.jpeg" alt="Naveen ul Haq" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Naveen ul Haq (Photo Source; LSG/Twitter)</figcaption>

Naveen-ul-Haq is active for Afghanistan in international cricket since 2016. During Aghanstan’s tour of Bangladesh in 2016, he got a chance to make his debut in the first One-Day International (ODI). In 2019, he played his first T20 international match during the 2019 Bangladesh Tri-Nation Series.

Since then, he has represented his national team in 27 T20Is, and has picked up 34 wickets at an economy of 8.10. In domestic T20 leagues, his presence could be found in all major competitions. He bagged his maiden IPL contract at the mini-auction in December 2022 held in Kochi. The 23-year-old was roped in by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at his base price of INR 50 lakh.

So far, the young gun has played two games for the franchise, and in both appearances, he looked effective with his economical spells. In the second match of his IPL career, Naveen took his maiden wicket as he got rid of Vijay Shankar, who came to bat at number five for Gujarat Titans (GT).

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1680949155726_Rahmanullah-Gurbaz.jpeg" alt="Rahmanullah Gurbaz" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Rahmanullah Gurbaz. (Photo source: BCCI/IPL)</figcaption>

Rahmanullah Gurbaz is an essential part of the Afghanistan cricket team due to his explosive batting style and superb wicket-keeping skills. In his four-year-old international career, he has won a lot of games for Afghanistan in white-ball cricket. In ODIs, the right-handed batter has amassed 582 runs with three tons and two half-centuries in just 15 matches.

While in the shortest format of the sport, he has played 41 matches, in which he has scored 1019 runs with five half-centuries at a strike rate of 134.25. In 2022, he became a part of GT’s squad<strong> </strong>as a replacement for England batter Jason Roy, who opted out of the tournament.

However, throughout the competition, the youngster didn’t get a chance in the playing XI. Before the 2023 IPL auction, Kolkata Knight Riders acquired him via the trading window from GT. Currently, he is serving the two-time IPL champions as an opening batter and wicket-keeper. Talking about his numbers thus far, the 21-year-old has piled up 102 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 117.24.

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/2019/04/Mohammad-Nabi.jpg" alt="Mohammad Nabi" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Mohammad Nabi. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption>

Mohammad Nabi started his cricketing career with Afghanistan’s debut in international cricket in 2009. In his 14-year career, he has done his job efficiently as an all-rounder and has also played an important role in his team’s rise in international cricket. In ODI cricket, the veteran has notched up 2968 runs and 144 wickets in 136 matches.

Talking about his figures in T20 Internationals, he has accumulated 1755 runs with his bat in 107 matches. While with the ball, he has hunted 87 batters at an impressive economy of 7.31. Relying on his experience and all round talent, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) picked him up to feature in the IPL.

Till 2021, he remained a part of the 2016 IPL champions, and during his stint, he racked up 180 runs and 13 wickets in 17 matches. At the 2022 IPL auction, Knight Riders secured his services after splurging INR 1 crore, however, in the season, he didn’t feature in KKR’s playing XI and was seen warming the bench.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman is known for his phenomenal mystery spin. With his remarkable talent, he has won many matches for Afghanistan. With 53 wickets in 41 T20Is at an amazing economy rate of 6.28, he is the third-leading wicket-taker for his national team, following Mohammad Nabi, and Rashid Khan.

In various T20 leagues around the world, Mujeeb is a popular name as he has taken part in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and Caribbean Premier League among others. The youngster became the talk of the town in 2018 as he got a chance to represent Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the marquee T20 tournament IPL.&nbsp;

Playing in his maiden IPL edition, he looked confident with the ball and clinched 14 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 6.99. His stint with Punjab lasted till 2020 as after the debut season, there was a huge decline in his performance.&nbsp;

Witnessing his failures, Punjab released him prior to the 2021 IPL auction. In the same year, SRH got him at the mini-auction but gave him only one game in the 2021 edition. After the 2021 league edition, Sunrisers released him and no franchise showed interest in him at the 2022 and 2023 auctions.

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1681409357219_Rashid-khan.jpeg" alt="Rashid khan" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Rashid khan. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)</figcaption>

Rashid Khan was the first Afghanistan player to make an IPL debut. In 2017, SRH splurged INR 4 crore at the auction and roped him into their squad to defend the title. Playing his debut IPL season, he trapped 17 batters in 14 matches at an economy of 6.62 and became the second-highest wicket-taker, following his colleague Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who became the&nbsp;Purple Cap winner with 26 scalps in 14 contests.

From 2017-21, he made 76 appearances for Sunrisers and took 93 wickets at an economy of 6.33. These figures also made him the second-most successful bowler for SRH.&nbsp;In 2022, the Orange Army released him and the leggie got signed by the newly-formed Gujarat Titans for a massive sum of INR 15 crore, ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.&nbsp;

In GT’s marvellous title win in their debut season, Rashid chipped in with 19 wickets in 16 games at a spectacular economy of 6.59. Thus far, the spin wizard has scalped 124 wickets in 98 IPL matches at an economy of 6.50.&nbsp;

Rashid Khan, Naveen ul Haq and Mohammed Nabi

<p>Afghanistan cricket has thrived tremendously in a very short period. Since 2009, they are active in international cricket and over the years, they have emerged as a dangerous side in white-ball cricket. Their players consistently hit headlines for their phenomenal performance in international cricket. In recent years, it has also been witnessed that Afghanistan players participate in T20 franchise competitions around the world.</p>
<p>In the cash-rich<strong> <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" title="Indian Premier League" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League</a></strong> (IPL), a few Afghan players have registered their presence but only a few have been successful. In 2017, Rashid Khan created history by becoming the first Afghan player to play in the IPL. Since then, he has played a lot of cricket in the league and has become a renowned name. In addition to Rashid, some of the other Afghan players have also played in the T20 extravaganza.</p>
<h2>Discussing more, here are the five best Afghanistan players who have played in the IPL:</h2>
<h3>5. Naveen-ul-Haq</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1682493143397_Naveen-ul-Haq.jpeg" alt="Naveen ul Haq" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Naveen ul Haq (Photo Source; LSG/Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Naveen-ul-Haq is active for Afghanistan in international cricket since 2016. During Aghanstan’s tour of Bangladesh in 2016, he got a chance to make his debut in the first One-Day International (ODI). In 2019, he played his first T20 international match during the 2019 Bangladesh Tri-Nation Series.</p>
<p>Since then, he has represented his national team in 27 T20Is, and has picked up 34 wickets at an economy of 8.10. In domestic T20 leagues, his presence could be found in all major competitions. He bagged his maiden IPL contract at the mini-auction in December 2022 held in Kochi. The 23-year-old was roped in by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at his base price of INR 50 lakh.</p>
<p>So far, the young gun has played two games for the franchise, and in both appearances, he looked effective with his economical spells. In the second match of his IPL career, Naveen took his maiden wicket as he got rid of Vijay Shankar, who came to bat at number five for Gujarat Titans (GT).</p>
<p></p>
<h3>4. Rahmanullah Gurbaz</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1680949155726_Rahmanullah-Gurbaz.jpeg" alt="Rahmanullah Gurbaz" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Rahmanullah Gurbaz. (Photo source: BCCI/IPL)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Rahmanullah Gurbaz is an essential part of the Afghanistan cricket team due to his explosive batting style and superb wicket-keeping skills. In his four-year-old international career, he has won a lot of games for Afghanistan in white-ball cricket. In ODIs, the right-handed batter has amassed 582 runs with three tons and two half-centuries in just 15 matches.</p>
<p>While in the shortest format of the sport, he has played 41 matches, in which he has scored 1019 runs with five half-centuries at a strike rate of 134.25. In 2022, he became a part of GT’s squad<strong> </strong>as a replacement for England batter Jason Roy, who opted out of the tournament.</p>
<p>However, throughout the competition, the youngster didn’t get a chance in the playing XI. Before the 2023 IPL auction, Kolkata Knight Riders acquired him via the trading window from GT. Currently, he is serving the two-time IPL champions as an opening batter and wicket-keeper. Talking about his numbers thus far, the 21-year-old has piled up 102 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 117.24.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>3. Mohammad Nabi</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/2019/04/Mohammad-Nabi.jpg" alt="Mohammad Nabi" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Mohammad Nabi. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Mohammad Nabi started his cricketing career with Afghanistan’s debut in international cricket in 2009. In his 14-year career, he has done his job efficiently as an all-rounder and has also played an important role in his team’s rise in international cricket. In ODI cricket, the veteran has notched up 2968 runs and 144 wickets in 136 matches.</p>
<p>Talking about his figures in T20 Internationals, he has accumulated 1755 runs with his bat in 107 matches. While with the ball, he has hunted 87 batters at an impressive economy of 7.31. Relying on his experience and all round talent, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) picked him up to feature in the IPL.</p>
<p>Till 2021, he remained a part of the 2016 IPL champions, and during his stint, he racked up 180 runs and 13 wickets in 17 matches. At the 2022 IPL auction, Knight Riders secured his services after splurging INR 1 crore, however, in the season, he didn’t feature in KKR’s playing XI and was seen warming the bench.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>2. Mujeeb Ur Rahman</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman-1.jpg" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Mujeeb Ur Rahman is known for his phenomenal mystery spin. With his remarkable talent, he has won many matches for Afghanistan. With 53 wickets in 41 T20Is at an amazing economy rate of 6.28, he is the third-leading wicket-taker for his national team, following Mohammad Nabi, and Rashid Khan.</p>
<p>In various T20 leagues around the world, Mujeeb is a popular name as he has taken part in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and Caribbean Premier League among others. The youngster became the talk of the town in 2018 as he got a chance to represent Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the marquee T20 tournament IPL.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Playing in his maiden IPL edition, he looked confident with the ball and clinched 14 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 6.99. His stint with Punjab lasted till 2020 as after the debut season, there was a huge decline in his performance.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Witnessing his failures, Punjab released him prior to the 2021 IPL auction. In the same year, SRH got him at the mini-auction but gave him only one game in the 2021 edition. After the 2021 league edition, Sunrisers released him and no franchise showed interest in him at the 2022 and 2023 auctions.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>1. Rashid Khan</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1681409357219_Rashid-khan.jpeg" alt="Rashid khan" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Rashid khan. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Rashid Khan was the first Afghanistan player to make an IPL debut. In 2017, SRH splurged INR 4 crore at the auction and roped him into their squad to defend the title. Playing his debut IPL season, he trapped 17 batters in 14 matches at an economy of 6.62 and became the second-highest wicket-taker, following his colleague Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who became the&nbsp;Purple Cap winner with 26 scalps in 14 contests.</p>
<p>From 2017-21, he made 76 appearances for Sunrisers and took 93 wickets at an economy of 6.33. These figures also made him the second-most successful bowler for SRH.&nbsp;In 2022, the Orange Army released him and the leggie got signed by the newly-formed Gujarat Titans for a massive sum of INR 15 crore, ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In GT’s marvellous title win in their debut season, Rashid chipped in with 19 wickets in 16 games at a spectacular economy of 6.59. Thus far, the spin wizard has scalped 124 wickets in 98 IPL matches at an economy of 6.50.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Afghanistan cricket has thrived tremendously in a very short period. Since 2009, they are active in international cricket and over the years, they have emerged as a dangerous side in white-ball cricket. Their players consistently hit headlines for their phenomenal performance in international cricket. In recent years, it has also been witnessed that Afghanistan players participate in T20 franchise competitions around the world.</p>
<p>In the cash-rich<strong> <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" title="Indian Premier League" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League</a></strong> (IPL), a few Afghan players have registered their presence but only a few have been successful. In 2017, Rashid Khan created history by becoming the first Afghan player to play in the IPL. Since then, he has played a lot of cricket in the league and has become a renowned name. In addition to Rashid, some of the other Afghan players have also played in the T20 extravaganza.</p>
<h2>Discussing more, here are the five best Afghanistan players who have played in the IPL:</h2>
<h3>5. Naveen-ul-Haq</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1682493143397_Naveen-ul-Haq.jpeg" alt="Naveen ul Haq" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Naveen ul Haq (Photo Source; LSG/Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Naveen-ul-Haq is active for Afghanistan in international cricket since 2016. During Aghanstan’s tour of Bangladesh in 2016, he got a chance to make his debut in the first One-Day International (ODI). In 2019, he played his first T20 international match during the 2019 Bangladesh Tri-Nation Series.</p>
<p>Since then, he has represented his national team in 27 T20Is, and has picked up 34 wickets at an economy of 8.10. In domestic T20 leagues, his presence could be found in all major competitions. He bagged his maiden IPL contract at the mini-auction in December 2022 held in Kochi. The 23-year-old was roped in by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at his base price of INR 50 lakh.</p>
<p>So far, the young gun has played two games for the franchise, and in both appearances, he looked effective with his economical spells. In the second match of his IPL career, Naveen took his maiden wicket as he got rid of Vijay Shankar, who came to bat at number five for Gujarat Titans (GT).</p>
<p></p>
<h3>4. Rahmanullah Gurbaz</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1680949155726_Rahmanullah-Gurbaz.jpeg" alt="Rahmanullah Gurbaz" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Rahmanullah Gurbaz. (Photo source: BCCI/IPL)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Rahmanullah Gurbaz is an essential part of the Afghanistan cricket team due to his explosive batting style and superb wicket-keeping skills. In his four-year-old international career, he has won a lot of games for Afghanistan in white-ball cricket. In ODIs, the right-handed batter has amassed 582 runs with three tons and two half-centuries in just 15 matches.</p>
<p>While in the shortest format of the sport, he has played 41 matches, in which he has scored 1019 runs with five half-centuries at a strike rate of 134.25. In 2022, he became a part of GT’s squad<strong> </strong>as a replacement for England batter Jason Roy, who opted out of the tournament.</p>
<p>However, throughout the competition, the youngster didn’t get a chance in the playing XI. Before the 2023 IPL auction, Kolkata Knight Riders acquired him via the trading window from GT. Currently, he is serving the two-time IPL champions as an opening batter and wicket-keeper. Talking about his numbers thus far, the 21-year-old has piled up 102 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 117.24.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>3. Mohammad Nabi</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/2019/04/Mohammad-Nabi.jpg" alt="Mohammad Nabi" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Mohammad Nabi. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Mohammad Nabi started his cricketing career with Afghanistan’s debut in international cricket in 2009. In his 14-year career, he has done his job efficiently as an all-rounder and has also played an important role in his team’s rise in international cricket. In ODI cricket, the veteran has notched up 2968 runs and 144 wickets in 136 matches.</p>
<p>Talking about his figures in T20 Internationals, he has accumulated 1755 runs with his bat in 107 matches. While with the ball, he has hunted 87 batters at an impressive economy of 7.31. Relying on his experience and all round talent, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) picked him up to feature in the IPL.</p>
<p>Till 2021, he remained a part of the 2016 IPL champions, and during his stint, he racked up 180 runs and 13 wickets in 17 matches. At the 2022 IPL auction, Knight Riders secured his services after splurging INR 1 crore, however, in the season, he didn’t feature in KKR’s playing XI and was seen warming the bench.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>2. Mujeeb Ur Rahman</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman-1.jpg" loading="lazy">
<figcaption></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Mujeeb Ur Rahman is known for his phenomenal mystery spin. With his remarkable talent, he has won many matches for Afghanistan. With 53 wickets in 41 T20Is at an amazing economy rate of 6.28, he is the third-leading wicket-taker for his national team, following Mohammad Nabi, and Rashid Khan.</p>
<p>In various T20 leagues around the world, Mujeeb is a popular name as he has taken part in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and Caribbean Premier League among others. The youngster became the talk of the town in 2018 as he got a chance to represent Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the marquee T20 tournament IPL.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Playing in his maiden IPL edition, he looked confident with the ball and clinched 14 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 6.99. His stint with Punjab lasted till 2020 as after the debut season, there was a huge decline in his performance.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Witnessing his failures, Punjab released him prior to the 2021 IPL auction. In the same year, SRH got him at the mini-auction but gave him only one game in the 2021 edition. After the 2021 league edition, Sunrisers released him and no franchise showed interest in him at the 2022 and 2023 auctions.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>1. Rashid Khan</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1681409357219_Rashid-khan.jpeg" alt="Rashid khan" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Rashid khan. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Rashid Khan was the first Afghanistan player to make an IPL debut. In 2017, SRH splurged INR 4 crore at the auction and roped him into their squad to defend the title. Playing his debut IPL season, he trapped 17 batters in 14 matches at an economy of 6.62 and became the second-highest wicket-taker, following his colleague Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who became the&nbsp;Purple Cap winner with 26 scalps in 14 contests.</p>
<p>From 2017-21, he made 76 appearances for Sunrisers and took 93 wickets at an economy of 6.33. These figures also made him the second-most successful bowler for SRH.&nbsp;In 2022, the Orange Army released him and the leggie got signed by the newly-formed Gujarat Titans for a massive sum of INR 15 crore, ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In GT’s marvellous title win in their debut season, Rashid chipped in with 19 wickets in 16 games at a spectacular economy of 6.59. Thus far, the spin wizard has scalped 124 wickets in 98 IPL matches at an economy of 6.50.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br>&nbsp;</p>

Afghanistan cricket has thrived tremendously in a very short period. Since 2009, they are active in international cricket and over the years, they have emerged as a dangerous side in white-ball cricke

5 best Afghanistan players to have played IPL

These Afghanistan stalwarts have got a chance to feature in the cash-rich league.

IPL: Top 5 Afghan players who have impressed in cash-rich league

Check out the top 5 Afghan players who have given excellent performances in IPL and set new standards in T20 cricket.