Azmatullah Omarzai

Azmatullah Omarzai, born on the 24th of March 2000, is an exciting prospect for Afghanistan. Azmatullah is from Nurgal District of Kunar province in the eastern part of Afghanistan. In August 2017, he participated in the 2017 Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One-Day Tournament and made his List A debut for Mis Ainak Region. Omarzai's journey started off with his batting and bowling prowess, which impressed local selectors. As he advanced through the domestic cricket leagues, he showed his capacity to score large runs and claim vital wickets. He was selected for Afghanistan's squad for the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup thanks to his persistent work ethic. He was included in Paktia's squad for the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League competition in September 2018. On October 7, 2018, he made his Twenty20 league debut for Paktia Panthers in the 2018–19 Afghanistan Premier League. He shared first place in the 2020 Shpageeza Cricket League's Player of the Tournament award in September 2020. He competed in the 2018 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup with Afghanistan's under-23 squad. He was included in Afghanistan's squad for the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Bangladesh in November 2019. He was included in the Afghanistan Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for their series against Ireland in February 2020.

The year 2021 marked a turning point in Omarzai's career. He made his international debut in both ODI and T20I formats, showcasing his fearless batting and accurate bowling. His impressive run in the 2021 T20 World Cup, with 62 runs and 4 wickets, solidified his position as a rising star. He was included in the Afghanistan One Day International (ODI) team for their series against Ireland in January 2021. On January 21, 2021, he played his first-ever ODI match for Afghanistan against Ireland. The Afghanistan Cricket Board stated in March 2021 that he would be selected for the Twenty20 International matches against Zimbabwe when his visa issues were rectified. He was included in Afghanistan's T20I team for their series against Bangladesh in February 2022.

In 2023, Azmatullah Omarzai was called up by the national team for the World Cup 2023. He had a pretty decent campaign as he scored 353 runs in nine innings in the 2023 World Cup while picking up seven wickets. In the ICC ODI World Cup match between Afghanistan and South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai scored the greatest amount of runs by an Afghanistan batsman ranked number five. The 23-year-old young man finished the inning at 97 runs not out and helped his nation to post a total of 244 runs on board. But unfortunately, the result didn’t end up on their side. Just after the World Cup campaign because of his effective efforts in the World Cup, he was called by Peshawar Zalmi in Pakistan Super League and Rangpur Riders in Bangladesh Premier League. He was also bagged by last season’s runner-up team, Gujarat, in the auction for the Indian T20 League. Gujarat spent INR 50 Lakhs on him and in the month of 2024, there is a high possibility to watch him making his debut in the League.