Meet Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar: Afghanistan’s youngest bowler to take multiple ODI five-wicket hauls

Afghanistan’s Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar emerged on 21 December as the youngest bowler to take multiple five-wicket hauls in ODIs as a teenager.

At 18, the young spin sensation of Afghanistan took his career’s second ODI five-wicket haul while playing in the 3rd and final ODI against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday. His figures of 33/5 at an economy of 3.3 per over helped Afghanistan floor Zimbabwe out for a paltry 127 in 30.1 overs.

His previous ODI five-wicket haul had arrived while playing with Bangladesh in November at Sharjah, where he claimed six wickets by shedding just 26 runs in 6.3 overs.

Looking at some stats, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar is not the only Afghan players to have claimed five wickets as a teenager. Before him, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan too have joined the elite club of legends like Waqar Younis, Gulshan Jha, Wasim Akram, Aftab Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Aaqib Javed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Sandeep Lamichhane, Mustafizur Rahman, Abdul Razzaq, Shariz Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq, reported The Week.

However, these bowlers could not clinch another fifer in their teen years, and Ghazanfar has now claimed it.

Ghazanfar’s stats:

Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar has played 11 one-day international matches for Afghanistan and picked up a total of 21 scalps at just 13.57. His economy rate is just 4.05.

In the ongoing series with Zimbabwe, Ghazanfar has taken a total of nine wickets from three matches at 5.22. His economy rate was 2.96.

Also, Ghazanfar owns 25 scalps in List A cricket from 15 matches, reported ESPNCricinfo.

MI bought Ghazanfar for ₹4.8 crore:

In the Indian Premier League Auction 2025, held at Jeddah in November, Mumbai Indians bought Ghazanfar for a whopping ₹4.8 crore, despite his base price being ₹75 lakh.

Not only MI, even Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru were interested in bidding for him.

He was signed by the 2024 IPL title winner Kolkata Knight Riders as an injury replacement for his teammate Mujeeb ur Rahman.