He underwent shoulder surgery on February 24.
Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq, who previously plied his trade with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), recently underwent shoulder surgery on February 24. Naveen has been advised a rest period of three to four weeks before a follow-up appointment with his physician, which effectively rules him out as a replacement contender for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season. The new edition is slated to start later this month on March 22.
The news was confirmed via a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).
For the unversed, Naveen had gone unsold at the IPL 2025 auction last November.
He was also not a part of the recent Afghanistan squad in the Champions Trophy 2025, having announced his retirement from the 50-overs format after the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
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With a number of fast bowlers getting injured in the likes of Gerald Coetzee, Anrich Nortje, Brydon Carse amongst others, Naveen would have been a promising option as a replacement player.
Although the Afghanistan quick might not have the express pace needed, he has the smarts of a good T20 bowler and has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. He is a versatile bowler capable of moving the new ball in both directions and his experience in the IPL adds to his credibility.
During his 18 matches with the Lucknow Super Giants, he claimed 25 wickets at an economy rate of 9.16, including one impressive four-wicket haul.
It was thus a slight surprise that Naveen went unsold at the auction and it’s now unfortunate that he won’t get an opportunity to make an impact in the tournament this time around.
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