By Robert 
Afghanistan all-rounder Karim Janat officially made his IPL debut for Gujarat Titans in their match against Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Ahead of the high-voltage clash in match 47 of the IPL 2025 season, Titans’ vice-captain Rashid Khan presented Janat with his debut cap.
Janat replaced Sherfane Rutherford in the playing XI and became one of the few Afghan cricketers to feature in the IPL this year.
Rising Presence of Afghanistan Players in IPL
Over the years, Afghan cricketers have steadily gained popularity across IPL franchises, thanks largely to the trailblazing success of Rashid Khan. His impact opened doors for a host of other talented players from Afghanistan to shine on the world’s biggest T20 stage.
During the IPL 2025 mega auction, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, seven Afghan players were picked by different franchises out of the 16 who had registered — a landmark moment for Afghanistan cricket.
List of Afghanistan Players Who Have Played in the IPL
- Rashid Khan
- Mohammad Nabi
- Naveen-ul-Haq
- Karim Janat
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz
- Noor Ahmad
- Gulbadin Naib
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Azmatullah Omarzai
Among them, Rashid Khan continues to be a major figure, having been retained by Gujarat Titans for a staggering INR 18 crore. Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz returned to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with a contract worth INR 2 crore.
Young sensation Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar was snapped up by Mumbai Indians for INR 4.8 crore. Unfortunately, an injury ruled the 18-year-old out of the tournament before he could make his debut.
Karim Janat was acquired by Gujarat Titans at the mega auction for a modest price of INR 75 lakh. The 26-year-old all-rounder brings solid credentials to the IPL, having played 160 T20 matches where he scored 2,494 runs at an average of 22.67, including two centuries and nine fifties. With the ball, he has bagged 118 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.82.