Karim Janat, a 26-year-old bowling all-rounder from the Afghanistan National Cricket Team, made his IPL debut on Monday, April 28.
He is playing his first-ever IPL match for Gujarat Titans (GT) against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
Karim Janat Makes IPL Debut for Gujarat Titans
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Karim Janat entered the IPL 2025 auction with a base price of INR 75 lakh. Gujarat Titans bought him for his base price.
Janat comes into IPL 2025 with plenty of experience. He has played 67 T20Is, 3 ODIs, and 2 Tests for Afghanistan. In T20Is, he has scored 691 runs and taken 42 wickets. He has also scored 32 runs in ODIs and 95 runs in Tests.
Before joining the Gujarat Titans, Janat played for teams like Fortune Barishal, Comilla Victorians, Colombo Stars, Sharjah Warriors, and Gulf Giants in various leagues.
Ahead of the game against the Rajasthan Royals, Janat received his debut IPL cap from his fellow Afghanistan player, Rashid Khan. He replaced Sherfane Rutherford in the playing XI for the Gujarat Titans.
Karim Janat made history with his IPL debut, becoming the 10th player from Afghanistan to play in the tournament.
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He joins the list of Afghanistan cricketers like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib, and Naveen-ul-Haq, who have all played in the IPL.
Interestingly, two other Afghanistan players were supposed to play in the IPL but couldn’t due to injuries. In 2018, the Rajasthan Royals picked left-arm wrist spinner Zahir Khan Pakteen, but he missed the season because of an injury. Similarly, spinner Allah Ghazanfar, who was picked by Mumbai Indians for IPL 2025, had to be ruled out due to a fracture.
Karim Janat is now the fourth Afghanistan player to play for Gujarat Titans in the IPL, joining Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, and Azmatullah Omarzai.
GT vs RR: Toss Updates and Key Quotes from the Captains
Speaking ahead of the match at the toss, GT captain Shubman Gill highlighted the importance of being ruthless in T20 cricket. He said:
“Some grass on the wicket, always nice to see that. We are looking to take each game as it is, not looking at the past. Important to be ruthless in this format. One change: Karim Janat makes his debut.”
Meanwhile, RR captain Riyan Parag expressed hope for a good result against GT. He stated:
“Should be a good wicket, some low bounce, saw some dew last night so bowling first. Everyone in our team has gone through situations like this and they know how to get out of it. We’ve had honest talks. Just have to put a game together collectively and hope for a good result. We’ve played 35 overs of good cricket in the last three games. That’s how cruel the IPL is. Two changes: Farooqi goes out, Theekshana comes in. Tushar goes out and Yudhvir comes in.”
ALSO READ: RR vs GT, IPL 2025: Playing XIs And Impact Players Of Both The Teams
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