Azmatullah Omarzai

A fast-bowling allrounder who can strike early in the powerplay and clear the ropes in the death overs, Azmatullah Omarzai has been central to Afghanistan's evolution from a spin-dominated side to a more balanced, multi-dimensional team. Initially seen as a batting prospect with some bowling ability, he steadily honed his skills with the ball and emerged as Afghanistan's leading seam-bowling allrounder, eventually leapfrogging the experienced Gulbadin Naib in the national pecking order.

Omarzai made his ODI debut in January 2021, and played his first T20I about a year later, but it was in 2023 that his career began to really take off. After an impressive run in the Bangladesh Premier League where he picked up 15 wickets, he was signed by Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League, and took ten wickets in the six games he played.

That same year, he made his maiden ODI half-century, against Bangladesh, and followed it up in the ODI World Cup with a composed 62 against India, a fifty against Sri Lanka, and an unbeaten 97 against South Africa, underscoring his growing maturity as a batter. He finished the year with 455 runs in ODIs at an average of 57.

In February 2024 he played a stunning rescue act against Sri Lanka after a top-order collapse, combining with Mohammad Nabi for a 242-run partnership and finishing unbeaten on 149, taking Afghanistan close in an unlikely chase.

Omarzai's stellar all-round performances earned him a place with Gujarat Titans in the IPL. Later that year, he was part of the Afghanistan side in their historic run to their first T20 World Cup semi-final, taking seven wickets.

That year Omarzai solidified his status as a world-class allrounder. He amassed 417 runs at an average of 52.12 and claimed 17 wickets at an economy of under five in ODIs, making important contributions in Afghanistan's series victories over Ireland, South Africa, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, earning him the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year award - the first time an Afghanistan player won that honour.​

In the 2025 Champions Trophy, Omarzai delivered a historic all-round performance against England, scoring 41 off 31 balls and taking his first ODI five-wicket haul. Two days later, his 67 off 63 against Australia helped Afghanistan post a competitive total of 273, though a rained-off match meant the side were knocked out of the tournament.

- Azmatullah Omarzai made his IPL debut in 2024 for Gujarat Titans. He scored 33 against Delhi Capitals and took a two-for against Mumbai Indians but had a middling season overall.

- His stock went up after an impressive 2024 T20 World Cup when Punjab Kings spent INR 2.40 crore on him in the 2025 auction.

- He didn't get too much time to bat and was expensive with the ball, leaking at 10.33 an over while picking up eight wickets in nine games. He was retained for the 2026 season.