The IPL 2023 mini-auction is all set to take place on December 23 in Kochi and one player from Afghanistan might grab all the limelight, however, not for triggering a bidding war. Ahead of the IPL 2023 auction, one name that is buzzing among fans is that of Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, who might become the youngest player to be bought in the IPL auctions. Yes, Ghazanfar is only 15 years old.
Ghazanfar hails from Afghanistan that has given the world of cricket players like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb ur Rahman, etc. On Wednesday, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the player list for the upcoming auction, Ghazanfar’s name was among the 405 players who were shortlisted.
Ghazanfar’s Bowling Style Is Similar To Ravi Ashwin
He has registered for the much-awaited auctions in franchise cricket and he would hope to get lucky on D-Day. Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar hails from Paktia province and is around 6ft 2 inches tall. He has registered himself at a base price of INR 20 Lakh. Though he is an off-spinner, but his style of bowling is similar to that of India’s senior bowler Ravichandran Ashwin, who has reinvented the art of off-spin in the T20 format of the game with his variations.
“Ashwin has been a champion spinner for India, and I like his variations. I have always considered him my inspiration,” Ghazanfar told Sportstar from Kabul on Tuesday.
He added: “I started with tennis ball cricket and would play in my neighbourhood, but under the guidance of my coach, I started bowling spin, and soon, I developed an action, and there hasn’t been any looking back since,”
Ghazanfar Doesn’t Understand Hindi
With age and skills by his side, Ghazanfar could see multiple franchise bids for him in the upcoming mini-auctions, considering a long-term vision. However, there are chances that the youngster might get unsold at the event. Notably, Ghazanfar had registered his name for the Big Bash League auctions as well, but he failed to find any takers.
Though, the Afghan youngster doesn’t understand Hindi, but he assured that language won’t be a problem while communicating. He said:
“I have played a fair bit of junior cricket, and my ultimate target is to play for Afghanistan. The IPL will help me improve my game as I would be able to learn quite a few things from the Indian and overseas players, and I am really looking forward to the experience. I hope to get picked by a franchise,”
