As the Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL) draws near, 333 players, including 10 Afghanistan cricketers, have registered themselves for the annual auction that will take place on Tuesday in Dubai.
This year’s diverse pool showcases a mix of young talents and experienced veterans, offering franchises an array of choices.
The oldest to register this year is Afghanistan’s cricketing legend Mohammad Nabi, who at 39 years of age would bring any team a wealth of experience.
The other four are David Wiese (Age: 38) – Namibia; Ben Cutting (Age: 37) – Australia; Jalaj Saxena (Age: 37) – India; and Tanmay Mishra (Age: 37) – India/Kenya.
From South Africa’s 17-year-old prodigy Kwena Maphaka to Afghanistan’s seasoned 39-year-old Nabi, the auction promises excitement at every turn.
Nabi, a former Afghanistan captain and a stellar all-rounder last played in the IPL in 2021, in just three matches. Recently seen representing Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup 2023, the 39-year-old has set his base price at INR 1.5 crore ($180,000) for this auction.
Last year, Nabi set his base price at INR 1 crore but went unsold. The same auction, however, saw England’s Sam Curran snapped up by Punjab Kings for an impressive INR 18.50 crore ($2.26 million).
At just 18 years of age, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar is another Afghanistan cricketer who has signed up for the auction. Ghazanfar recently played for Afghanistan U19 against Pakistan U19 in Dubai. His base price is INR 20 lakhs.
Other Afghanistan players and their base price are:
Azmatullah Omarzai at INR 50 lakh
Mujeeb Rahman at INR 200 lakh
Mohammad Waqar Salamkheil at INR 50 lakh
Ibrahim Zadran at INR 50 lakh
Najibullah Zadran at INR 50 lakh
Qais Ahamad at INR 50 lakh
Fareed Ahmad at INR 50 lakh
Izharulhuq Naveed at INR 50 lakh
