Azmatullah Omarzai shines for PBKS: Who is the first Afghan cricketer to have lifted the IPL trophy?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings timeline LIVE: Azmatullah Omarzai bowled brilliantly for Shreyas Iyer's team on Tuesday as RCB were restricted to 190/9 in their 20 overs. Omarzai took the prized wicket of Virat Kohli in the fifteenth over before the experienced batter could shift gears after a difficult start.

The Afghan all-rounder finished his four-over spell, conceding just 35 runs (4-0-35-1, economy 8.75). Before dismissing Kohli, the 25-year-old also helped restrict RCB to just 55 runs during the batting powerplay. Only seven runs came from his over, as Kohli and Mayank Agarwal (24 off 18) managed just five singles and a double despite the field restrictions.

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Yuzvendra Chahal impressed with figures of 1/37 in 4 overs, while Kyle Jamieson recorded 3 for 48. However, India's premier T20 bowler Arshdeep Singh delivered the best figures, taking 3 wickets for 40 runs, including three scalps in the final over.

If Punjab Kings chased down the target, Omarzai would have made history, as only a few Afghan players had lifted the coveted IPL trophy.

Rashid Khan, the first player from Afghanistan to earn an IPL contract, served as vice-captain of Gujarat Titans when they won their inaugural title in 2022. Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad under Shreyas Iyer that clinched last year’s title. He played a crucial role in KKR’s winning campaign, contributing significantly with the bat.

Before the season, Gurbaz was named the ICC ODI Player of the Year. Omarzai, however, joined the Punjab camp late due to some personal reasons.

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