INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Afghanistan offspinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has replaced his countryman AM Ghazanfar in Mumbai Indians& (MI) squad for IPL 2025 after an injured
Ghazanfar was ruled out of the Champions Trophy, and the IPL that follows.The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said recently that Ghazanfar
had been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy due to a fractured vertebra sustained during Afghanistan&s tour of Zimbabwe last
month.Ghazanfar, who will be out of cricket for at least four months, will also miss out on IPL this year, his first contract with the
league.Mujeeb meanwhile last played at the IPL in 2021, for Sunrisers Hyderabad.Most recently, he was with Paarl Royals at the SA20, where
his side lost to finalists Sunrisers Eastern Cape in Qualifier 2
However, he was Royals& highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with 14 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 23.14.He wasn&t picked by
Afghanistan for the Champions Trophy, as according to Ahmad Suliman Khil, their interim chief selector, &he has been advised by his doctor
to focus on T20s for a while to ensure his full recovery before returning to ODIs&.This was after he sustained a hand injury that left him
out of cricket for five months
Only in November last year was he able to return.Mujeeb had gone unsold at the IPL 2025 auction, but now joined MI at a fee of INR 2 crore
($230,000).The ICC Champions Trophy gets underway on Wednesday, February 19, in Pakistan when the hosts take on New Zealand
Afghanistan will play their first match on Friday, February 21, when they take on South Africa.IPL will start on Friday, March 21 and run
through to Sunday May 25.Cricket fans meanwhile can stay tuned with Ariana Radio - Television Network (ATN) as all Champions Trophy matches
will be broadcast live across the country.The post Mujeeb Ur Rahman replaces injured Ghazanfar in Mumbai Indians& squad for IPL 2025 first
