Karim Janat becomes the tenth Afghan player in IPL

WEB DESK: Karim Janat, an all-rounder from Afghanistan, officially entered the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the tenth player from his country to participate.

The Gujarat Titans presented him with his debut cap, an honour given by fellow Afghan cricket Rashid Khan, before their match against the Rajasthan Royals at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, India on Monday.

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Karim Janat brought considerable experience to the tournament, having played 177 matches and scored 2.759 runs at a strike rate of 133.5.

His bowling capabilities are equally good, with 138 wickets taken at an economy rate of 7.7 per over.

The Gujarat Titans secured his services for Rs24.8 million during the IPL 2025 mega auction.

The 26-year-old has already made a name for himself in international cricket, featuring 67 T20 Internationals (T20I) for Afghanistan. He has accumulated 691 runs in this format, maintaining a strike rate of 115.93.

His best bowling figures of 5/11 were recorded against the West Indies in Lucknow, India in 2019.

The Afghan player has also participated in several T20 leagues worldwide, including the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the Lanka Premier League (LPL), and the Afghanistan Premier League (APL).

The Gujarat Titans currently occupy the second position in the IPL 2025 points table, aiming to reclaim the top spot with a victory over the Rajasthan Royals.

Karim Janat replaced Sherfane Rutherford in the Titans’ line-up

Afghan players have recently made strides into the private league, with Rashid Khan being one of the first and slowly opening the door for other Afghan players in 2025.

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Afghan players who have participated in the IPL includes Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Fazalhaq Farooqi.