Afghanistan · Bowler

Allah Ghazanfar Age, Stats, 24 ODI Wickets and 6/26 Record

Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar is an Afghanistan right-arm off-spinner who was 20 on 16 August 2026 under the 20 March 2006 birth date used by his current Mumbai Indians profile and later official IPL auction documents. His record includes 24 ODI wickets through 19 July 2026, a best of 6/26, selection in the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year for 2024 and 15 wickets from 11 matches for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026. He returned from a back injury and later took 2/34 against Ireland on 15 August 2026.

By StumpScope Cricket Desk · Edited by StumpScope Editorial Team

Right-handedRight-arm off spin bowlerBorn 20 March 2006

Official SA20 Sunrisers Eastern Cape named 600 by 600 headshot, identity cross-checked with Afghanistan and Mumbai Indians records and retained for editorial use ↗

Current squadMumbai IndiansIndian Premier League · Official retained 2026 IPL squad and completed campaign

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Full nameAllah Mohammad Ghazanfar

Age20As of 16 August 2026

Date of birth20 March 2006Paktia Province, Afghanistan

Batting styleRight-handed

Bowling styleRight-arm off spin

Career overview

Allah Ghazanfar cricket career

Current MI and later IPL records list 20 March 2006; the IPL player directory displays 15 July 2007 in its 2023 list.

Right-handed batter and right-arm off-spinner; specialist bowling role.

ODI snapshot through 19 July 2026: 17 matches, 24 wickets and best figures of 6/26.

Named in the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year for 2024 after taking 21 wickets that year.

Took 15 wickets from 11 matches for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026.

Returned after a back injury and took 2/34 against Ireland on 15 August 2026.

Career story

Allah Ghazanfar career and playing journey

Who is Allah Ghazanfar?

Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, often shortened to AM Ghazanfar or Allah Ghazanfar on scorecards, is an Afghanistan international off-spinner from Paktia Province. He bats right-handed and bowls right-arm off spin. His senior record is bowling-led: wickets, economy and variation are the reasons teams select him, while the presence of a batting row does not turn him into an all-rounder.

He moved rapidly from Afghanistan youth cricket to the senior ODI side in 2024, then into franchise squads across several countries. Mumbai Indians became his main IPL team, while MI Emirates, MI New York and Sunrisers Eastern Cape provide separate competition contexts. A registration does not prove an appearance, so his international, IPL and other franchise records must remain tied to their own scorecards and season dates.

Allah Ghazanfar international statistics by format

The career snapshot through 19 July 2026 records 24 ODI wickets from 17 matches at a bowling average of 20.75. It includes two five-wicket innings and a best of 6/26. The same cutoff records four wickets from his only Test, with best innings figures of 3/127, and two wickets from five T20 internationals. Those are format-specific totals, not numbers to add into one unrestricted sum.

Ghazanfar played four more ODIs against Ireland in August 2026 and took six wickets across the matches in which he bowled, finishing with 2/34 in the fifth ODI. Those later games are described separately because the displayed format table retains its 19 July cutoff. Updating one narrative result without pretending that an older aggregate already includes it makes the date boundary visible and prevents a misleading 24-plus-partial total.

How did Allah Ghazanfar take 6/26 against Bangladesh?

Ghazanfar took 6/26 against Bangladesh in Sharjah in November 2024, his first senior ODI five-wicket haul. ICC's year-end review records the performance as part of a season in which he collected 21 ODI wickets from 11 matches at 13.57. He later added 5/33 against Zimbabwe in his final ODI appearance of 2024, giving him two five-wicket returns during the calendar year.

The 6/26 remains his best ODI analysis in the 19 July 2026 table. It should not be added again to his 24-wicket aggregate, because the six wickets are already included. The innings is discussed separately to explain why the total mattered: it made him the fifth-youngest men's player to take an ODI five-for and helped establish his place among Afghanistan's senior spin options.

How did Allah Ghazanfar perform in IPL 2026?

Mumbai Indians' official player profile records 15 wickets from 11 matches in IPL 2026. The club's season history identifies him as its leading wicket-taker, making the campaign his first substantial IPL sample after injury ruled him out of the 2025 season. The 15 wickets belong only to that completed IPL season and do not replace his international statistics.

One documented example came against Rajasthan Royals in an 11-over match at Guwahati, where he took 2/21 from two overs. He dismissed Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag, although Mumbai lost by 27 runs after Rajasthan made 150/3. The spell shows an individual contribution inside a team defeat; it would be inaccurate to present the wickets as proof that Mumbai won or that every match in his season had the same conditions.

Which teams does Allah Ghazanfar represent?

Ghazanfar's recent team history includes Afghanistan, Afghanistan A, Mumbai Indians, MI Emirates, MI New York and Sunrisers Eastern Cape. He has also appeared in earlier domestic and short-format settings. Each association has its own season and availability rules, so a team directory should be read as evidence of selection or registration at that time rather than permanent simultaneous membership everywhere.

Mumbai Indians supplied his completed IPL 2026 record. Afghanistan Cricket Board and ICC reporting establish his senior international matches, while the SA20 team directory supplies the named portrait used on this page. A photograph in Sunrisers Eastern Cape clothing does not change his primary 2026 IPL context or imply that the SA20 club owns his wider career identity.

How old is Allah Ghazanfar?

Using the 20 March 2006 date shown by Mumbai Indians and the later IPL documents, Ghazanfar was 20 years old on 16 August 2026. His birthplace is recorded as Paktia Province, Afghanistan. The age is always tied to the stated date because it changes at each birthday, while the underlying birth record should change only if authoritative evidence corrects it.

Using the older 15 July 2007 auction-list entry would make him 19 on the same review date. That one-year difference is why the conflict matters: it affects age-based descriptions and claims about youngest-player records. The page does not average the dates or invent a compromise. It uses the newer repeated official value while identifying exactly where the historical alternative appeared.

Allah Ghazanfar batting style, bowling style and role

Ghazanfar bats right-handed and bowls right-arm off spin. He began as a fast bowler before developing his spin under former Afghanistan captain Dawlat Ahmadzai, according to early career reporting. His current professional role is specialist bowler: the international and IPL records are dominated by wickets rather than sustained batting output.

Off spin describes the broad bowling method, while reports often call him a mystery spinner because of his changes of grip, pace and direction. That label should not be treated as a separate official style. The clearest evidence of his role comes from usage: Afghanistan selected him to fill spin vacancies in 2024, the ICC recognised his ODI wickets, and Mumbai Indians' 2026 record lists him as the team's leading wicket-taker.

When did Allah Ghazanfar make his international debut?

The ICC announced Ghazanfar's first senior ODI call-up for Afghanistan's March 2024 series against Ireland after he took eight wickets in four matches at the Under-19 World Cup. He made his ODI debut in Sharjah during that series. The call-up arose while Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman were unavailable, but selection as a replacement did not limit the value of the opportunity once he entered the playing XI.

His first year developed quickly: he contributed to Afghanistan's historic first win over South Africa, produced two ODI five-wicket hauls and finished with 21 wickets in the calendar year. He later made his Test debut and appeared in T20 internationals, but those smaller samples remain separate from his ODI record. A Test is also first-class cricket, so the four wickets shown in both rows describe overlapping scope rather than eight distinct wickets.

Why was Allah Ghazanfar selected in the 2024 ODI Team of the Year?

The ICC named AM Ghazanfar in its Men's ODI Team of the Year for 2024 after he took 21 wickets from 11 matches at 13.57. The selection was made by the ICC Voting Academy on calendar-year performance. He joined Wanindu Hasaranga as a spin option in the XI, alongside Afghanistan teammates Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Azmatullah Omarzai.

His strongest figures were 6/26 against Bangladesh and 5/33 against Zimbabwe. Those two spells supplied 11 of his 21 wickets but do not explain the whole selection; the award reflected his complete ODI year. The Team of the Year is a dated recognition, not a live ranking or a claim that he was automatically selected for every later Afghanistan match.

What back injury did Allah Ghazanfar suffer?

A back injury ruled Ghazanfar out of Afghanistan's 2025 Champions Trophy squad. The ICC reported that Nangyal Kharoti replaced him, leaving Afghanistan without another spin option while Mujeeb Ur Rahman was also unavailable. Mumbai Indians' biography adds that the injury prevented Ghazanfar from taking part in IPL 2025, so his intended selection did not become an appearance that season.

The injury report establishes the affected area and the competitions missed, but it should not be stretched into an unsupported diagnosis or exact recovery timetable. His later IPL 2026 record—15 wickets in 11 games—and Afghanistan appearances demonstrate that he returned to competitive cricket. That return does not retroactively create 2025 matches, and future fitness still depends on current team information rather than the old injury notice.

What did Allah Ghazanfar do against Ireland in 2026?

Ghazanfar took 2/34 against Ireland in the fifth ODI at Belfast on 15 August 2026. He bowled eight overs as Ireland made 298/7, dismissing Cade Carmichael and Lorcan Tucker. Afghanistan chased 299 with six wickets in hand and completed a 4–0 series victory, with one of the five scheduled matches not producing a win for either side.

Across the four matches in which his bowling figures are recorded, he took six wickets: 0/24, 3/29, 1/45 and 2/34. That series occurred after the 19 July career-table cutoff shown above, so its wickets are not silently inserted into the displayed 24. The official ACB match report is used for the final result and 2/34, while a future complete statistics refresh can reconcile the new overall ODI total.

How did Allah Ghazanfar emerge through youth cricket?

Ghazanfar took eight wickets in four matches at the 2024 Under-19 World Cup, conceding 3.35 runs per over according to Mumbai Indians' career summary. That youth performance helped earn his first senior ODI call-up against Ireland. Youth wickets and senior wickets belong to different competition levels, so the eight are not added to his Afghanistan ODI total.

Later in 2024, he helped Afghanistan A win the ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup and was Player of the Match in the final against Sri Lanka A. An A-team tournament is also distinct from full international cricket. The sequence—Under-19 tournament, senior debut, Afghanistan A title and senior ODI recognition—shows rapid development without pretending that every match carried the same status.

How should his Test and first-class records be compared?

The 19 July 2026 table shows one Test and one first-class match, with four wickets in each row. These are not two separate four-wicket performances: his Test is also classified as first-class cricket. Adding the rows would double the same match and create a false eight-wicket total. His best innings figures of 3/127 likewise appear in both scopes because they describe the same game.

ODIs and List A cricket follow a similar nested relationship, although this page does not display a separate List A row. T20 internationals sit within the broader T20 category used by domestic and franchise competitions. IPL 2026's 15 wickets therefore belong to his overall T20 career but not to his five-match T20I line. Format labels answer which matches count; they are not decorative variations of one total.

What does the 24-wicket ODI snapshot include?

The displayed ODI line covers 17 matches through 19 July 2026: 24 wickets, a 20.75 average, two five-wicket innings and best figures of 6/26. It includes his 2024 breakthrough year and later ODIs played before that cutoff. The 21 wickets identified by the ICC for calendar year 2024 are a subset of the 24, not a second total to add.

The August 2026 Ireland figures sit beyond the snapshot and are described in their own section. This lets readers understand both the stable table and the newer official result without hiding the date difference. When the full career row is refreshed, all later matches must be reconciled together rather than adding only the most memorable 2/34 and leaving other series appearances out.

What is Allah Ghazanfar's franchise role?

Franchise teams use Ghazanfar as an attacking off-spinner, particularly when they need wicket-taking options through the middle overs. Mumbai Indians' 2026 campaign provides the clearest completed sample: 15 wickets from 11 matches and the team's leading-wicket position. The 2/21 against Rajasthan came in a shortened match, showing that his role could remain aggressive even with only two overs available.

Other team directories establish selection but not the same volume of confirmed appearances. An MI-branded team in another league is a separate club and competition, even when ownership and visual identity are related. MI Emirates results cannot be counted as Mumbai Indians IPL results, and MI New York registration cannot establish an MLC appearance without a corresponding scorecard.

What are Allah Ghazanfar's main achievements?

His senior highlights include two ODI five-wicket hauls in 2024, selection in the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year for 2024, and a role in Afghanistan's first international win over South Africa. At A-team level, he was Player of the Match as Afghanistan A won the 2024 Emerging Teams Asia Cup final. At franchise level, he led Mumbai Indians with 15 wickets in IPL 2026.

These achievements use different scopes. The ICC XI is a calendar-year recognition; the Afghanistan A title is not a full international trophy; the Mumbai wickets cover one IPL season; and the South Africa result is one national-team match. Keeping each label intact makes the career more informative than a single mixed list in which awards, team wins and wicket totals appear interchangeable.

What changed between IPL 2025 and IPL 2026?

Mumbai Indians bought Ghazanfar ahead of IPL 2025, but his back injury ruled him out before he could play. Mujeeb Ur Rahman replaced him for that campaign. Mumbai retained Ghazanfar for 2026, and he then made 11 appearances and took 15 wickets. The distinction prevents a purchased or retained squad place from being misreported as a 2025 IPL debut.

His 2026 season demonstrated a successful competitive return, but it should not be used to guess the exact date on which medical rehabilitation ended. Selection, fitness and appearance are three different checkpoints. The official club biography supports the missed 2025 season and completed 2026 tally; individual match reports support particular figures such as 2/21.

What are the key takeaways from Allah Ghazanfar's career?

Ghazanfar's rise rests on concrete bowling results: 21 ODI wickets in 2024, two five-wicket hauls, a place in the ICC's calendar-year ODI XI, and 15 IPL wickets from 11 matches in 2026. The 2/34 against Ireland on 15 August 2026 adds a later official performance beyond the displayed 19 July career snapshot.

Two cautions remain essential. First, the 2023 IPL list's 15 July 2007 birth date conflicts with the 20 March 2006 date repeated in later official IPL and Mumbai records. Second, international, youth, A-team and franchise figures cannot be merged. Clear dates and competition labels preserve both the speed of his development and the accuracy of the record.

Allah Ghazanfar records

Allah Ghazanfar career statistics and records

Batting, bowling and fielding figures are kept separate by competition and format.

Test (career snapshot through 19 July 2026)1matches

Batting

Runs: 6
High score: 4
Average: 6.00
100s / 50s: 0/0

Bowling & fielding

Wickets: 4
Best bowling: 3/127
Average: 40.25
Balls: 218
Catches / stumpings: 1 catches; stumpings not listed
5w / 10w: 0 / 0

Only fields published by the named source are shown; unavailable values are not guessed.

ODI (career snapshot through 19 July 2026)17matches

Batting

Runs: 61
High score: 31*
Average: 7.62
100s / 50s: 0/0

Bowling & fielding

Wickets: 24
Best bowling: 6/26
Average: 20.75
Balls: 655
Catches / stumpings: 1 catches; stumpings not listed
5w / 10w: 2 / 0

Only fields published by the named source are shown; unavailable values are not guessed.

T20I (career snapshot through 19 July 2026)5matches

Batting

Runs: 7
High score: 7
Average: 2.33
100s / 50s: 0/0

Bowling & fielding

Wickets: 2
Best bowling: 1/9
Average: 48.00
Balls: 96
Catches / stumpings: 2 catches; stumpings not listed
5w / 10w: 0 / 0

Only fields published by the named source are shown; unavailable values are not guessed.

First-class (career snapshot through 19 July 2026)1matches

Batting

Runs: 6
High score: 6
Average: 6.00
100s / 50s: 0/0

Bowling & fielding

Wickets: 4
Best bowling: 3/127
Average: 40.25
Balls: 218
Catches / stumpings: 1 catches; stumpings not listed
5w / 10w: 0 / 0

Only fields published by the named source are shown; unavailable values are not guessed.

Career chronology

Debut and last listed match

International career

Debut

ODI debut against Ireland in Sharjah in March 2024

Last listed match

Took 2/34 against Ireland in Belfast on 15 August 2026

Indian Premier League

Debut

Missed IPL 2025 with a back injury before making his IPL debut in 2026

Last listed match

15 wickets from 11 Mumbai Indians matches in IPL 2026

Career achievements

Career achievements and milestones

Took 21 ODI wickets in 2024 and made the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year for 2024.
Recorded ODI best figures of 6/26 against Bangladesh and later took 5/33 against Zimbabwe.
Was Player of the Match as Afghanistan A won the 2024 Emerging Teams Asia Cup final.
Returned from a back injury to take 15 wickets from 11 matches for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026.
Took 2/34 against Ireland as Afghanistan completed a 4–0 ODI series win on 15 August 2026.

Reader questions

Allah Ghazanfar FAQ

How old is Allah Ghazanfar?

Using the 20 March 2006 date repeated by Mumbai Indians and later IPL documents, Allah Ghazanfar was 20 on 16 August 2026. The official 2023 IPL list had displayed 15 July 2007, so the historical conflict is disclosed.

What is Allah Ghazanfar's role?

Allah Ghazanfar is a specialist right-arm off-spinner who bats right-handed.

How many wickets did Allah Ghazanfar take in IPL 2026?

Mumbai Indians records 15 wickets from 11 matches, the leading wicket tally for the club in IPL 2026.

What is Allah Ghazanfar's best ODI bowling performance?

His best ODI figures are 6/26 against Bangladesh in November 2024. He also took 5/33 against Zimbabwe later that year.

Why did Allah Ghazanfar miss IPL 2025?

A back injury ruled him out of the 2025 Champions Trophy and IPL 2025. He returned to play for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026.

What were Allah Ghazanfar's figures against Ireland in August 2026?

He took 2/34 from eight overs in the fifth ODI at Belfast on 15 August 2026 as Afghanistan won by six wickets.

Conclusion

Allah Ghazanfar progressed from eight Under-19 World Cup wickets to 21 ODI wickets in 2024, two senior five-wicket hauls and selection in the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year for 2024. After a back injury removed him from IPL 2025, he returned with 15 wickets from 11 matches for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026.

The ODI table retains its 19 July 2026 cutoff and therefore keeps 24 wickets, while the later 2/34 against Ireland is reported separately. His birth record also remains transparent: current MI and later IPL documents use 20 March 2006, but the official 2023 IPL list displayed 15 July 2007.