Afghanistan are also without Mujeeb Ur Rahman at the Champions Trophy, though he played the entire SA20 for Paarl Royals

Afghanistan's rising spin-bowling talent, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a serious injury.

New Delhi: Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has undergone surgery for a finger injury but is expected to recover in time for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Samson, who will captain Rajasthan Royals this year, is set to make a full recovery, according to a report by ESPNCricinfo on Wednesday.

Samson is set to continue to lead Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025. He led the team in IPL 2024, where they were knocked out in Qualifier 2 by Sunrisers Hyderabad. IPL 2025 will be crucial for Samson as he will aim to score big runs and secure his place in India’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20I World Cup 2026.

Samson will now be seen in action during IPL 2025, which is expected to get underway on March 23, as per BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla. Shukla, who attended the Special General Meeting (SGM) in Mumbai, revealed the date of IPL 2025 while speaking to reporters and said, "IPL is going to start from March 23."