Afghanistan off-spinner Allah Ghazanfar is hoping that he would be retained by the Mumbai Indians for the 2026 IPL season. Incidentally, the IPL 2026 retention deadline is scheduled for November 15.
In a conversation with PTI, he also shared how the MI captain Hardik Pandya motivated him during the phase when he was laid low by an injury. “Despite the injury, Hardik bhai remained in touch with me and motivated me a lot. Even with Tilak Varma, I had long chats about the game. I hope Hardik bhai is again my captain,” Ghazanfar said.
The 19-year-old was about to make his IPL debut last season but a back injury acted as a hurdle. Last year, he also made his Test debut against Zimbabwe, where he bowled more than 30 overs. He revealed it was tough on his body, but also added that he has now made a complete recovery from his injury.
He also observed that he doesn’t really bowl off-spin in T20 cricket. Instead, he focuses on his variations. “I don’t look at myself as an off-spinner as I don’t bowl a lot of off-spin. T20 cricket is a batter’s game now, spinners don’t get a lot of help from the pitches. A perfect example is the IPL where you don’t get a lot of tracks assisting spin.
“Off-break easily comes on to the bat. The leg-break can be tricky. With mystery, the ball skids, and you can vary your pace. Mystery is better,” he added.
Ghazanfar will also be representing Afghanistan in the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha, which is his second second appearance in the tournament.
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