The Punjab Kings all-rounder has been a vital cog for Afghanistan in white-ball cricket recently.
Amongst all the fans and stakeholders watching the T20 World Cup 2026 for some riveting content are the owners and team management personnel of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) management will watch Azmatullah Omarzai from close quarters.
After the improvement that the Afghanistan all-rounder has shown in the past year, the Shreyas Iyer-led side will be scratching their heads so as to the overseas options that they have in the 19th edition of the IPL. Omarzai was bought by the Punjab Kings ahead of the 2025 edition.
The 25-year-old showcased his class in their recent T20 World Cup 2026 fixture against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Azmatullah Omarzai bagged a four-wicket haul, in exchange of a mere 15 runs in his four overs. And that was not it.
The promising all-rounder came back with the bat in the second innings, and scored an unbeaten 40 off 21 deliveries to take Afghanistan over the line – who were once caught in a difficult situation. His innings comprised two fours and three sixes.
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First things first, the franchise will have to make sure that they give enough game time to the Afghan all-rounder – something that he was not exposed to in the previous edition. Omarzai made it to the starting XI in just nine of the total matches played by Punjab Kings.
In those nine matches, he ended up with eight wickets at an economy of 10.33, which was on the expensive side. Furthermore, he could score just 57 runs across five innings – but his strike-rate in those stood at a whopping 139.02.
The Punjab Kings have the likes of Marcus Stoinis, Lockie Ferguson and Marco Jansen – who will definitely start for the franchise. However, amid the newly signed players who include Mitchell Owen and Cooper Connolly, Omarzai must be drafted into the XI on a consistent basis.
For a long time now, the 25-year-old has proved to be a good servant of the game with his all-round skills. He can open the bowling to make early inroads, swinging the ball both ways, and can also finish innings off at the death – both skills which were on display in the match against UAE.
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