Born and brought up in Muvattupuzha, Kerala, Rafi started his career with the I-League U16s at Bengaluru FC, where he impressed many with his qualities. The 21-year-old went on to represent India at the U19 level, where he spent time in Russia and Turkey, while also winning the OFC Youth Development Tournament in Vanuatu in 2019. In that time, Rafi also featured in the SAFF Cup Championship and the AFC Qualifying round with the India U19s, before joining the reserve team at Hyderabad FC in 2020. Rafi was a regular under coach Shameel Chembakath in the reserve team, and impressed enough to earn a call to train with the first in 2023. Ever since, he has grown in stature at the club and is now one of the most experienced defenders at Hyderabad FC. He will play a crucial role in HFC’s 2024-25 campaign, where he will be an important figure for this young side, on and off the field.