Afghanistan spin sensation AM Ghazanfar ruled out of Champions Trophy 2025, replacement announced

Afghanistan's young spin sensation AM Ghazanfar has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due to injury. The 18-year-old, sustained a fracture in the L4 vertebra, particularly in the left pars interarticularis, during Afghanistan’s recent tour of Zimbabwe. As a result, he will be sidelined for at least four months, missing both the Champions Trophy and the IPL 2025 season.

Ghazanfar’s exclusion from the tournament is a big loss for Afghanistan, as he has been one of their most promising spin prospects. He played a crucial role in Afghanistan’s win in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, producing a match-winning performance in the final against Sri Lanka A. Additionally, his early ODI career has been sensational, having already secured 21 wickets in just 11 innings at an average of 13.57.

Having previously been part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad in the IPL 2024 season, Ghazanfar was picked up by Mumbai Indians for INR 4.8 crore in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. Unfortunately, his injury means he will also miss out on the cash-rich league this year.

Nangyal Kharoti inducted into Afghanistan's Champions Trophy 2025 squad

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has named Nangyal Kharoti as Ghazanfar’s replacement in the 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy. Kharoti was initially part of the reserve players' pool.

Additionally, Afghanistan will continue to miss the services of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who is unavailable for ODI selection due to injury concerns. With both Ghazanfar and Mujeeb out, Afghanistan’s spin department will rely heavily on the likes of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad to lead their bowling attack in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Ghazanfar has already achieved multiple three-wicket hauls, a five-for, and a six-wicket haul in ODIs. His best performance came against Bangladesh, where he claimed 6 for 26, helping Afghanistan secure a crucial victory. Similarly, his 5 for 33 against Zimbabwe led to a series win.

Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025: Rating squads of each team

Afghanistan's 15-member squad

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran

Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami