Naveen-ul-Haq targets Gurbaz (Source: @dhillow_/x.com, @CallMeSheri1_/x.com)
Over the years, the India-Pakistan rivalry turned the world crazy as their international tension stripped into the cricket pitches. Not just with India, Pakistan’s relationship with Afghanistan has also come under the scanner multiple times.
As the PSL is set to begin on March 26, Afghanistan batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz joined Peshawar Zalmi for the upcoming season. Soon after the move, fellow Afghan star Naveen-ul-Haq took a dig at Gurbaz with a cryptic post on social media.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz joins Peshawar Zalmi for PSL 2026
The cricket world holds its breath whenever India and Pakistan clash on the big stage, but a new rivalry is quietly heating up between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Due to the ongoing political tension between the neighboring nations, the Afghan players have spoken against Pakistan, capturing widespread attention. But before the upcoming PSL, things took another dramatic turn.
Just ahead of PSL 2026, Peshawar Zalmi pulled off a masterstroke by signing Rahmanullah Gurbaz as a direct pick. Although the financial deal of the signing was under the clouds, Gurbaz’s new journey sparked buzz before it began.
In recent times, Afghan talents are rare; Gurbaz’s entry sparked buzz. The franchise welcomed the explosive batter wholeheartedly, and their social media post for Gurbaz quickly grabbed widespread attention.
Naveen Ul Haq sparks speculation with cryptic social media post
It’s not just Gurbaz, Mujeeb Ur Rahman also followed the same way. The Afghan star has registered himself for the PSL draft. But the things were expected to be different. Sources reveal that Naveen-ul-Haq, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have all decided to skip the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League.
As per the decision, Naveen-ul-Haq opted for county cricket, leaving PSL behind. But the other Afghan stars took a different route, as Gurbaz and Mujeeb joined PSL franchises. That move didn’t sit well with Naveen as his social media post grabbed attention.
After Gurbaz’s signing made headlines, the Afghan bowler took to Facebook with a cryptic post. On his social media handle, he wrote, “Hypocrisy………...” Fans quickly linked it to Gurbaz’s move to join PSL, and that turned heads.
Gurbaz emerges as the key weapon for Peshawar Zalmi
Aiming for a fresh start to their PSL 2026 journey, the Peshawar Zalmi struck gold while signing Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The Afghan wicketkeeper-batter brings the firepower in the top order, along with unreal reflexes behind the stumps.
Amidst his international experience, Gurbaz is a household name in the global T20 leagues like IPL, CPL, BPL, and SA20. The 24-year-old Afghan star also had a brief stint in the PSL early in his career. Making his debut for Multan Sultans, he played just one match and scored three runs, but his talent has clearly grown since then.
After that, he spent two more seasons with the Islamabad United but failed to make a mark with his exceptional batting. In 14 matches in two seasons, he scored 315 runs with just one half-century in the last season. As another new beginning emerges for Gurbaz, he is eager to entertain Pakistani fans with some fireworks.
