Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan reckons that Punjab Kings (PBKS) must bring Azmatullah Omarzai into the playing XII for the IPL 2026 match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). According to Pathan, having an extra batting hand could be useful on a slow surface with a bit of turn.

PBKS began their IPL 2026 campaign with a three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in Mullanpur. Their second match in the T20 league will be against CSK at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday, April 3.

During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Pathan agreed that PBKS do not need to make too many changes to their side. He, however, urged the franchise to try and fit in Afghanistan all-rounder Omarzai. Pathan commented:

“I quite like this team. I want to see Azmatullah Omarzai coming into the side to actually make the batting bit more longer, especially on a pitch which has slight turn and slowness as well.”

The 41-year-old added that the upcoming matches will be crucial for young PBKS opener Priyansh Arya as opponents seem to have found a way to restrict his strokeplay. The former India cricketer explained:

“I’ll keep an eye on Priyansh Arya this season because first game, it looked like people will actually not give him too much room. He loves to play on the offside. They might bowl in the stumps and ask him to play in front. That’s what I felt. If he doesn’t get runs, then they need to rejig their playing combination.”

Arya was dismissed for seven off eight balls against GT. He fell to Kagiso Rabada, top-edging a short ball.

“Only minor concern is whether Shreyas is going to be available” – Sanjay Bangar on PBKS skipper’s fitness

Sharing his thoughts on PBKS, former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar opined that they seem to have most bases covered. He, however, added that there could some uncertainty over skipper Shreyas Iyer’s availability as he copped a painful blow on the hand in the team’s previous match. Bangar commented:

“No concerns at all as far as Punjab is concerned. Probably only one minor concern is whether Shreyas is going to be available. He’s got a blow on his hand that looked a little bit worrisome at that point in time. Hopefully, that’s not going to keep him out. And if that happens, that he’s not able to take the field, then I think Shashank Singh is a guy who can take the captaincy role quite well.”

At a pre-match press conference, PBKS assistant coach Brad Haddin confirmed that Shreyas is likely to play against CSK since he doesn’t have a fracture in his hand, but admitted that the batter’s hand is swollen.