Mumbai, February 7: Afghanistan wicket-keeper batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz made a shocking announcement on Saturday, claiming that he will not participate in the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026. Gurbaz shared a video on his official social media account and informed about his withdrawal from the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League after being signed by Peshawar Zalmi.
He said that he will not be available as he will be focusing on his welfare foundation which operates in Afghanistan after the completion of ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
He shared the video on his Instagram and Facebook account and shared the message in his regional language Pashto. He shared the video with the caption, "Salam everyone, fans from everywhere. After the World Cup, I won’t be available for the PSL this season due to my schedule. I’ll be focusing more on my foundation work in Afghanistan. Thank you for all the love and support."
Earlier, Peshawar Zalmi confirmed that they have signed the Afghan opener batsman on February 5 on their official social media account, without revealing the signing amount.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz has featured in three seasons of the Pakistan Super League for their most controversial team - Multan Sultans and others. He played for Multan Sultans in 2021 and Islamabad United in 2022 and 2023 seasons. Gurbaz has scored a total of 318 runs in the 15 contests he has appeared for the PSL at an average of 22.71 and has one half-century to his name.
He has also played other leagues worldwide, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), SA20, ILT20 and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Besides playing in the leagues, he is also an important player in the Afghanistan National Cricket Team. He has represented the nation in over 50 One-Day Internationals and around 80 T20Is.
His announcement today has been a shocker and surprise for the Pakistan league and the Afghanistan cricket fans as they will miss their icon in action in the PSL 2026 edition.
