Mumbai Indians have sought a like-for-like replacement by signing the Afghan spinner Mujeeb-ur Rahman in the squad after the young Allah Ghazanfar has been ruled out from the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League as well as the Champions Trophy. IPL had confirmed the signing on their official website. Mumbai Indians also posted about his arrival on their Instagram. In the statement released by MI, it said, "Mujeeb was one of the youngest ever players to have represented Afghanistan and made an instant impact with the ball leading to an IPL debut at the age of 17. Mujeeb has played over 300 T20 (international and domestic) games taking closer to 330 wickets at an economy of around 6.5. Mumbai Indians wish Ghazanfar a speedy recovery and a warm welcome to Mujeeb into the #OneFamily." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mumbai Indians (@mumbaiindians) Mujeeb, a crafty off-spinner, has previous IPL experience, having played for Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad. He made his debut in 2018 as a 17-year-old, impressing with 14 wickets in 11 matches. Though he was part of Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, he couldn’t play due to an injury. Now, he joins MI for INR 2 crore, bringing his experience and mystery spin to the squad. Interestingly, Ghazanfar had replaced Mujeeb in KKR’s squad back in 2018. Now, the roles have reversed, with Mujeeb stepping in for the injured youngster. The 18-year-old Ghazanfar was a highly sought-after player in the IPL auction, as MI secured him for INR 4.8 crore after a bidding war with KKR and RCB. However, his unfortunate injury means he will have to wait longer for his IPL debut. Read also: Left-right combo vs. stability? Reports reveal CT25 dispute. Allah Ghazanfar’s Injury Blow Ghazanfar sustained a lower back injury during Afghanistan’s tour of Zimbabwe, later diagnosed as a fracture in the L4 vertebra. This injury has ruled him out of both the IPL and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed that Nangyal Kharoti would replace him in the national squad. The young spinner had a promising start to his ODI career, picking up 21 wickets in just 11 matches. His absence is a setback for Afghanistan and MI, who had high hopes for him this season. ACB stated, “Ghazanfar will need at least four months to recover and will remain under treatment during this period.” With Ghazanfar sidelined, Mujeeb’s arrival brings much-needed depth to MI’s spin department. Fans will be eager to see if he can make an impact in IPL 2025 after his return to the league.