Revealed: Why Are Punjab Kings Players Wearing Black Armbands vs Rajasthan Royals?

RR vs PBKS - (Source: Punjab Kings)

On Tueaday, Punjab Kings hosted Rajasthan Royals at the Mullanpur Stadium for IPL 2026 match 40. For the much-awaited clash, the Shreyas Iyer-led side took the field wearing black armband.

The fans were curious about the latest development and took to social media platforms for answers. Meanwhile, this article will shed light on the reason behind PBKS players wearing black armband.

Punjab Kings Pay Tribute To Azmatullah Omarzai's Late Mother

In an tragic incident, PBKS star all-rounder Azmatullah Omerzai lost his mother on Monday, April 27. The franchise paid their respect to Omarzai's mother and posted a tweet on social media.

"Our heartfelt condolences go out to Azmatullah Omarzai on the loss of his mother. The entire Punjab Kings family stands with him and his loved ones during this difficult time."

Punjab Kings

@PunjabKingsIPL

Our heartfelt condolences go out to Azmatullah Omarzai on the loss of his mother. The entire Punjab Kings family stands with him and his loved ones during this difficult time.

Therefore, Punjab Kings players wore black armbands for Azmatullah Omarzai's late mother. Notably, the player has flown back to Afghanistan and will be back with the team in few days.

Shreyas Iyer Pays Respect To Azmatullah Omarzai's Mother At Toss

Not just in the match, but Shreyas Iyer also paid respect to Azmatullah Omarzai's mother at the toss. "On behalf of the whole team, I want to express my condolences to Azmat and his family for the loss. We are with him during this hard time," remarked Shreyas Iyer at the toss.

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Shreyas Iyer garnered a lot of praise for his actions and the fans heavily applauded him for his sweet gesture for the teammate.

Azmatullah Omarzai Fails To Get A Single Game In IPL 2026

So far, Punjab Kings have played seven matches and are the only team yet to be defeated in the tournament. Notably, Azmatullah Omarzai is yet to play a solitary game. So far, Marcus Stoinis, Cooper Connolly, and Marco Jansen are the prefered overseas options for the Kings.

Nonetheless, Omarzai has been a loyal part of Punjab Kings since 2025. In the last year, the Preity Zinta-owned side bought him for 2.4 crores.

Also Read: "Lakha Of Lagaan": Shashank Singh Drop From PBKS vs RR Sparks Ricky Ponting Fury

Punjab Kings Off To A Mixed Start vs RR

Talking about the ongoing match, Punjab Kings got off to a flying start. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh were again the ones who set a perfect platform. However, the Royals put a break on the scoring rate in the middle-overs.

Interestingly, Shreyas Iyer struggled against Rajasthan Royals. At the time of writing this article, Punjab Kings are 168/3 after 17.1 overs and the PBKS captain is batting on 30 (26), which has featured a solitary four and a six.

Questions can also be raised on Prabhsimran Singh, who scored a fifty but amassed 59 runs off 44 balls.

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