Naveen-ul-Haq IPL Stats, Wickets, Price, Age, Debut, Team, Salary

Naveen-ul-Haq’s IPL career is a study in impact in short bursts. The Afghanistan fast bowler arrived at Lucknow Super Giants in 2023 as a 50-lakh base-price signing and walked straight into one of the most talked-about seasons of that tournament, picking up 11 wickets in 8 matches and producing a match-turning four-wicket haul in the Eliminator.

In 2024 he took 14 wickets in 10 matches for Lucknow. Across his two IPL seasons he has 25 wickets in 18 matches at an average of 23.64, a record built on a slingy action, pinpoint yorkers and a bag of slower-ball tricks that make him a genuine death-overs option. Through the 2026 auction he remains unsigned, his IPL future clouded by a shoulder injury that also ruled him out of the T20 World Cup 2026.

Naveen-ul-Haq IPL Career Overview

Lucknow Super Giants bought Naveen-ul-Haq at his base price of INR 50 lakh in the 2023 auction, a modest fee for a bowler who had already made his mark in T20 leagues around the world. The Afghan quick justified the faith immediately. Handed his debut in Match 26 against Rajasthan Royals, he grew in stature through the season and saved his finest spell for the biggest stage, taking 4 for 38 against Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator at Chennai.

The 2024 season brought more opportunities but stiffer challenges. Bowling mainly in the powerplay and at the death, Naveen took 14 wickets in 10 matches, though his economy rate ballooned to 10.19 as batters across the league grew more aggressive. Retained at 50 lakh for 2024, he was released before the 2025 mega auction and went unsold at a base price of INR 2 crore, and again in 2026 as franchises baulked at his shoulder injury.

Early Life and Afghanistan Career

Naveen-ul-Haq was born on 23 September 1999 in Kabul, Afghanistan, and grew up playing cricket in a country where the sport has produced a remarkable conveyor belt of fast-bowling talent. He made his international debut for Afghanistan in 2016 as a teenager and quickly became a T20I fixture.

He was part of Afghanistan’s famous rise in white-ball cricket, playing in the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups and the 2023 ODI World Cup. After the 2023 World Cup he retired from ODI cricket, choosing to concentrate on T20 internationals and franchise leagues around the world. That decision reflected where his career was heading: by then he was a sought-after T20 specialist, playing in the Big Bash League, The Hundred, the Pakistan Super League, the SA20 and the Caribbean Premier League alongside the IPL.

IPL Debut and the Lucknow Journey

Naveen’s IPL debut came on 19 April 2023 in Lucknow’s Match 26 against Rajasthan Royals. He announced himself with figures of 1 for 19 in his first three overs of IPL cricket, showing the control and the deceptive slower ball that had made him a franchise-circuit regular. Across the 2023 season he became Lucknow’s designated powerplay and death bowler, a role that demands nerve and he handled it impressively for a debutant.

The 2024 season saw him play 10 matches, his highest single-season tally, and he again shouldered responsibility at both ends of the innings. His 14 wickets came at a cost, an average of 26.57 and an economy of 10.19, as the season’s batting-friendly conditions tested every death bowler in the league. His best figures that year were 3 for 49. Released after that season, he went unsold in the 2025 and 2026 auctions, with shoulder surgery keeping him sidelined through much of 2025 and early 2026.

Naveen-ul-Haq IPL Season-by-Season Stats

The table captures two sides of his IPL career: miserly in 2023 at 7.82 an over with a four-wicket haul in 8 games, expensive in 2024 despite more wickets. His batting is negligible, 18 runs in 18 matches, and he has 6 catches.

Naveen-ul-Haq IPL Price and Auction History

Naveen’s IPL salary story is unusual. Bought at the modest base price of INR 50 lakh in 2023, he was retained at the same figure in 2024 rather than being paid a big raise, a sign of Lucknow’s value-for-money approach to their overseas pace attack. Released before the 2025 mega auction, he listed himself at a base price of INR 2.00 crore for both the 2025 and 2026 auctions and went unsold both times, the second time amid open concerns about his shoulder injury and long recovery.

Bowling Style and Strengths

Naveen-ul-Haq bowls with a slingy, round-arm action that gives batters little time to pick the release point, and his natural pace sits in the mid-130s. His greatest weapon is variety at the death: a well-disguised slower ball, the knuckle ball, wide yorkers and the ability to take pace off without telegraphing the change. These are the classic tools of the modern T20 specialist, and he deploys them with unusual control.

He is equally comfortable with the new ball, where a touch of swing and hard lengths make him a genuine opening option for Afghanistan. What separates him from many hit-the-deck quicks is his cricket brain: he bowls to fields, varies his pace almost every ball in the final overs, and rarely repeats the same delivery twice. Captains trust him because he executes plans under pressure, which is why Lucknow handed a debutant the toughest overs of the innings.

Naveen-ul-Haq Memorable IPL Performances

His signature IPL performance came in the 2023 Eliminator against Mumbai Indians at Chennai: 4 for 38 in a knockout match, his best figures and only four-wicket haul, which nearly dragged Lucknow into the final four.

Earlier that season, his debut spell of 1 for 19 against Rajasthan Royals showed his control, and he followed it with 3 for 19 against Mumbai in the league stage at Lucknow, dismissing key middle-order batters at the death. In 2024 his best spell was 3 for 49, again evidence of his wicket-taking habit even when the runs were flowing.

Controversies and Records

Naveen-ul-Haq became a household name in India during IPL 2023 for reasons beyond his bowling. An on-field confrontation with Virat Kohli during Lucknow’s match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru escalated after the game into a heated exchange that also drew in Lucknow mentor Gautam Gambhir. All three were fined a percentage of their match fee for breaching the IPL code of conduct. The incident dominated headlines for days before it was eventually resolved and both players moved on.

His 4 for 38 in the 2023 Eliminator stands as his finest IPL return, and his 2023 economy of 7.82 was among the best for overseas seamers that season. For Afghanistan he has over 60 T20I wickets and played a key role in their run to the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-finals.

FAQs

When did Naveen-ul-Haq make his IPL debut?

Naveen-ul-Haq made his IPL debut in 2023 for Lucknow Super Giants in Match 26 against Rajasthan Royals on 19 April 2023. He took 1 for 19 on debut and finished the season with 11 wickets in 8 matches.

Which IPL team does Naveen-ul-Haq play for?

Naveen-ul-Haq played for Lucknow Super Giants in 2023 and 2024. He was released ahead of the 2025 mega auction and went unsold in both the 2025 and 2026 auctions at a base price of INR 2 crore.

How many wickets has Naveen-ul-Haq taken in the IPL?

Naveen-ul-Haq has taken 25 wickets in 18 IPL matches at an average of 23.64 and an economy rate of 9.16, with best figures of 4 for 38. His tally breaks down as 11 wickets in 2023 and 14 wickets in 2024.

What was Naveen-ul-Haq’s IPL auction price?

Lucknow Super Giants bought him for INR 50 lakh at the 2023 auction and retained him for the same amount in 2024. After being released, he set a base price of INR 2 crore for the 2025 and 2026 auctions but went unsold both times.

What is Naveen-ul-Haq’s best IPL bowling figure?

His best IPL figures are 4 for 38 against Mumbai Indians in the 2023 Eliminator at Chennai, which is also his only four-wicket haul in the IPL.

Why is Naveen-ul-Haq not playing in the IPL now?

He was released by Lucknow Super Giants before the 2025 mega auction and went unsold in the 2025 and 2026 auctions. A shoulder injury requiring surgery ruled him out for an extended period, including the T20 World Cup 2026, which made franchises cautious about bidding.