Karim Janat IPL 2025: Afghanistan all-rounder joins Gujarat Titans with raw pace and big-hitting promise Karim Janat made his IPL debut in the 2025 season with Gujarat Titans, arriving as one of Afghanistan’s most explosive talents. Although his maiden campaign yielded no batting opportunities, the 26-year-old’s reputation as a hard-hitting finisher precedes him—he boasts a T20 strike rate touching 140 and 65 sixes in 94 innings at the international level. Janat’s power-packed game fits perfectly into the Titans’ philosophy of fearless cricket at the Narendra Modi Stadium. With the ball, Janat showed glimpses of his wicket-taking potential in his solitary over against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Bowling the 20th over of the innings, he sent down six balls at the death and conceded 30 runs while searching for his first IPL scalp. The economy of 30.0 for that over reflects the high-risk, high-reward nature of his style rather than long-term concern. Across 48 T20 matches for Afghanistan, he has already picked up 38 wickets, including 13 in the death overs, showcasing his ability to nail yorkers and vary pace intelligently. GT head coach Ashish Nehra sees Janat as a multi-phase asset—someone who can bowl two overs at the top and return for the slog overs while slotting in as a late-order destroyer with the bat. Fitness permitting, Janat’s role could expand dramatically in the 2026 mega-auction cycle when the franchise retains core overseas picks. For fantasy managers and fans tracking player stocks, Karim Janat remains a high-upside watchlist candidate primed for a breakout season once given a consistent run.

Hardik Pandya IPL career story: 11 seasons, 2749 runs at a 146 strike-rate, 148 sixes, 10 half-centuries Hardik Pandya has been one of the Indian Premier League’s most explosive batting all-rounders since his 2015 debut with Mumbai Indians. Across 140 innings he has unleashed 2,749 runs off just 1,871 balls, translating to a fearsome strike-rate of 146—the sort of number that turns middle-overs into match-winning passages. He has cleared the ropes 148 times and found the boundary another 207 times, underlining why captains post straight long-on and deep mid-wicket for him from ball one. His highest score of 91 and ten half-centuries show he can both finish innings and anchor them when required. While Pandya’s primary currency is runs, he has also delivered 78 wickets in 107 bowling innings, including one five-for and five three-wicket bursts. Operating at an economy of 9.18 and a strike-rate of 20.87, he often bowls the difficult overs at the death, trusting his cutters and the slower ball. Having represented Mumbai Indians for eight of his eleven campaigns and captained Gujarat Titans to the 2022 title, Pandya’s dual-skill value has made him a marquee name every mega auction.

Note: This overview is partially generated using AI and is based on statistical data. Please verify with official sources for complete accuracy.