By Karunesh Kumar

Dubai [UAE], November 14 (ANI): Afghanistan spin sensation Allah Ghazanfar praised Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, calling them superstars and highlighting their exceptional character.

He commended Hitman's impressive performance, citing his match planning and execution, and credited the IPL for providing a platform to learn from his expertise.

'Rohit Sharma is a superstar. I like his character a lot. I like Jasprit Bumrah's character a lot as well. He has done a lot for India. He has a lot of world experience. I saw his match planning, I saw everything. I got the experience of how he plans and executes, I got the benefit of what we saw from him during IPL,' Allah Ghazanfar told ANI.

Ghazanfar was picked in the IPL auction in 2023 and was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders the following year as a replacement for his fellow Afghan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman. Though he didn't feature that season, the Mumbai Indians backed his potential, giving him a sizeable contract in 2025.

Ghazanfar also lauded his senior players in the team, highlighting their vast experience. He singled out Rashid Khan as a star player, emphasising his expertise and willingness to share knowledge.

Ghazanfar expressed enthusiasm about bowling alongside Rashid, expecting valuable guidance and learning opportunities.

'Our senior team has a lot of experience. Rashid is a star. He is the star of all. Bowling with him is a good thing. He has a lot of experience. If he sees me, he will tell me what to do. He will tell me what not to do,' he added.

Ghazanfar has played 20 matches for Afghanistan, claiming 29 wickets at an average of 22.17 with best figures of 6/26 against Bangladesh. Ghazanfar is set to feature for Afghanistan A in the Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025 starting from Friday.

Their campaign will begin on November 15 against Sri Lanka A, followed by matches against Bangladesh A on November 17 and Hong Kong, China on November 19.

The squad features 10 players from the squad that won the previous edition of the tournament, including the likes of Sediqullah Atal, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Zubaid Akbari, Mohammad Ishaq, Qais Ahmad and Nangyal Kharoti.

Afghanistan's Squad for the Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025:

Darwish Rasooli (C), Sediqullah Atal (VC), Noor Rahman (WK), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Zubaid Akbari, Imran Mir, Rahmanullah Zadran, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Nangyal Kharoti, Farmanullah Safi, Qais Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Faridoon Dawoodzai.

Reserves: Wafiullah Tarakhil, Sediqullah Pacha, Yama Arab.

The matches of the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 will be telecast on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD. (ANI)