Azmatullah Omarzai

Hailing from Kanur, Afghanistan, Azmatullah Omarzai is a rising star in the world of cricket, particularly known for his all-round skills. He is a right-handed batter and a right-arm medium-fast bowler.

Azmatullah's cricketing journey began in his hometown. He honed his skills playing local matches and quickly gained recognition for his talent. He rose through the ranks of Afghan age-group cricket, impressing with his aggressive batting and deceptive pace bowling. 

Afghanistan's 2014 Asia Cup victory over Bangladesh led Azmatullah's father to ask him about his cricketing prospects. Not allowed to leave their house in the evening, Azmatullah then became a regular on the field, bettering his abilities every day.

He made his domestic cricket debuts in 2017-18, playing List-A and First-Class cricket for Mis-Ainak and his maiden T20 match for the Paktia Panthers.

His international debut came in January 2021 when he played an ODI versus Ireland. In March 2022, he arrived in Afghanistan's T20I fold, playing the series against Bangladesh.

He was the highest wicket-taker among overseas players with 15 wickets in 11, and fourth highest overall in BPL 2023.

While playing for Peshawar Zalmi, Omarzai made an instant impact on his PSL debut, bagging three wickets in the game against Karachi Kings. 

Although he represented Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup 2022, he went unnoticed because of his lacklustre show in the tournament. It was a year later when the all-rounder garnered eyeballs, becoming an excellent new-ball bowler and middle-order batter for his team in the ODI World Cup 2023. He was Afghanistan's second-highest run-getter in the competition. Along with the 353 runs he scored, he also claimed seven scalps in the competition. He smashed fifties versus India, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

In February 2024, Omarzai smoked his maiden international hundred in an ODI versus Sri Lanka. He played a 149-run knock. He set-up a 242-run stand for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Nabi, which is now the highest partnership ever in an ODI for any wicket in any losing cause.

He was picked by Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction for INR 50 lakh. Omarzai’s inclusion in the squad might release the tension over Hardik Pandya's departure from the Titans' camp as the Afghan all-rounder has similar attributes to the ex-Gujarat Titans’ skipper.

(As of March 2024)