Punjab Kings have provided an important update on all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai’s availability in Afghanistan.

Omarzai had not played any match for PBKS in IPL 2026 and had flown home due to personal reasons. A Cricbuzz report has confirmed his return date to the squad.

Azmatullah Omarzai returned home after the death of his mother

It is known that the SUV returned home after the death of his mother. On April 28, PBKS players paid tribute to him by wearing black armbands during their match against Rajasthan Royals.

During the toss of that match, Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer expressed his condolences. “On behalf of the entire team, I just want to convey our deepest condolences to Azmat and his family. “We are with him through the good times and the bad,” he said.

Cricbuzz has now confirmed that Omarzai will rejoin the team on May 7. This means that he will not be available for PBKS’ matches against GT on May 3 and against SRH on May 6, respectively.

Also Read: ‘Sorry bhai, aaj nahi’: Punjab Kings troll Rajasthan Royals after Delhi Capitals’ 226th chase in IPL 2026

Azmatullah Omarzai in the IPL

Although he did not play in 2026, Omarzai was signed for INR 2.6 crore in 2025 and played an important role in PBKS’ run to the finals.

Before the IPL, Azmatullah Omarzai was an important part of the Afghanistan team in the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Although Afghanistan suffered a first round exit, he was the team’s highest wicket-taker with 9 wickets in 4 matches, including a 4-wicket haul against the United Arab Emirates.

In IPL 2025, Azmatullah Omarzai took 8 wickets in 9 matches. Before that, he played for the Gujarat Titans in 2024, taking 4 wickets in 7 matches.

Apart from his success on the field, PBKS has been involved in some controversies in IPL 2026.

Controversies mainly arose on social media when Rajasthan Royals decided to try out the franchise. Harpreet Brar of PBKS was not so kind and asked for revenge.

Punjab then celebrated RR’s loss to Delhi Capitals on May 1, but the Royals’ social media team decided not to remain silent.

Kings of Punjab in IPL 2026

With 13 points from their 8 matches, Punjab Kings sit comfortably at the top of the points table. In their first 7 matches, they had 6 wins and 1 no result. Their unbeaten streak ended in their last match when RR beat them on April 28.

PBKS will take on Gujarat Titans on May 3 in Ahmedabad. The two teams had started their IPL 2026 seasons against each other with Punjab winning. In fact, each of PBKS’ next three matches in IPL 2026 will be replayed against teams they have beaten before.

As mentioned above, Azmatullah Omarzai will not be available for Punjab’s next two matches, so the earliest PBKS could pick him would be for their match against Delhi Capitals on May 11. Punjab already beat DC once this season, when they scored a world record 265.