IPL Mega Auction: Mumbai Indians Secure Afghanistan’s Allah Ghazanfar for ₹4.80 Crore; Top International Spinners Go Unsold

The IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah on Sunday brought surprises and intense bidding battles, with Mumbai Indians (MI) making headlines by acquiring 18-year-old Afghan spinner Allah Ghazanfar for ₹4.80 crore. However, the auction also saw several seasoned international spinners, including Akeal Hosein, Keshav Maharaj, and Adil Rashid, left unsold

Allah Ghazanfar, who recently debuted for Afghanistan, became the center of a fierce bidding war between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Despite RCB dropping out early, KKR pressed on, only for MI to ultimately secure the promising spinner.

Ghazanfar, who grabbed attention with a six-wicket haul on his ODI debut, has already taken 12 wickets in eight ODIs. His acquisition reflects MI’s strategy of investing in emerging talent to bolster their spin attack.

While Ghazanfar found a new IPL home, several experienced international spinners failed to attract bids:

• Akeal Hosein (West Indies): Known for his economical bowling and lower-order batting capabilities, Hosein has taken 177 wickets in 190 T20s at an average of 24.53. He also has 57 wickets in 65 T20Is for West Indies.
• Keshav Maharaj (South Africa): A reliable spinner for the Proteas, Maharaj has 154 wickets in 181 T20s at an average of 27.94. He has also shown potential with the bat, scoring 760 runs in the format.
• Adil Rashid (England): A legend in the shorter formats, Rashid has 391 wickets across 281 matches and is England’s leading T20I wicket-taker with 126 scalps in 119 games. Despite his stellar record, he has played just one IPL match.
• Mujeeb ur Rahman (Afghanistan): A T20 globetrotter, Mujeeb has 216 wickets in 206 matches but failed to secure a bid this time.

Sri Lankan spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, with a modest record of 47 wickets in 44 T20s, was another player to go unsold.

The IPL 2025 mega auction has shortlisted 574 players from an initial pool of 1,574, featuring 208 overseas players, 12 uncapped international talents, and 318 uncapped Indian players. The event is already drawing global attention for its mix of marquee names and promising newcomers, with franchises reshaping their squads for the upcoming season.