AM Ghazanfar

He was still very young when he earned his first international cap, and he did not take long to make his presence felt in one-day internationals. Across his first 14 ODIs he collected 23 wickets at a strong average. That run included two separate five-wicket returns, a sign of his ability to take control of an innings with the ball.

In franchise T20 competitions he has become known as a bowler captains turn to when they need wickets, pairing tight lines with a willingness to attack batters. His Indian Premier League story has been one of waiting so far. A team has selected him before, but he has not yet played a match in the tournament, held back by a lack of openings and by injuries.

For IPL 2026 he is part of the Mumbai Indians squad, where he is regarded as a player with a high ceiling. Should he get games, the likely plan is to use him through the middle overs as a spinner tasked with taking wickets. How well he copes with the pace and pressure of the IPL will be closely watched. Bowling sharp spells and separating established batting pairs could help him become a dependable spin option for Mumbai Indians in the seasons ahead.