Owen, currently representing Peshawar Zalmi in the ongoing HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL), is set to join PBKS for a reported sum of INR 3 crore.
According to the reports, Owen will travel to India once Zalmi’s PSL campaign concludes. As of now, Zalmi sit fifth among six teams and are scheduled to play their final group-stage match on May 9.
If they qualify for the playoffs, the right-handed batter could remain in Pakistan until May 18, the day of the PSL final – two days after PBKS’ last group-stage match, but ahead of the IPL playoffs.
The 23-year-old from Tasmania rose to prominence during the most recent Big Bash League (BBL) season, where he finished as the leading run-scorer and played a pivotal role in the Hobart Hurricanes’ title triumph.
His standout performance came in the final, where he smashed 108 off 42 balls, earning him the Player of the Match award. Owen tallied 452 runs from 11 innings, averaging 45.20 with a blistering strike rate of 203.60.
Since then, he has also featured in the SA20 and the PSL.
In addition to his batting prowess, Owen contributes with the ball as a medium pacer and has 10 wickets from 20 T20 innings.
His signing is backed by PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting, who has tracked Owen’s progress closely through his role as head of strategy at the Hurricanes.
The 23-year-old initially joined Peshawar Zalmi as a replacement for Corbin Bosch, who withdrew from the PSL after opting to join Mumbai Indians (MI) in place of the injured Lizaad Williams.
Bosch’s sudden withdrawal led to disciplinary action, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issuing a one-year ban from the PSL and a legal notice.
“I deeply regret my decision to withdraw from the PSL, and offer my sincere apologies to the people of Pakistan, the fans of Peshawar Zalmi, and the wider cricket community,” Bosch, who has played two games for MI in IPL 2025, said in a statement released by the PCB at the time.
Rabada leaves IPL
South Africa’s ace pacer Kagiso Rabada on Saturday, acknowledged failing a drug test, which led to his sudden exit from the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Rabada, second in the ICC Men’s Test bowling rankings, had returned to South Africa, citing ‘important personal reason’ after representing Gujarat Titans in only two matches.
The Titans had confirmed the departure of the right-arm pacer but did not provide any update on his return.
Meanwhile, as per the latest development, the South African pacer revealed that his premature exit from the cash-rich league was due to returning an adverse analytical finding for a recreational substance.
Kagiso Rabada, in a statement, issued an apology for failing the drug test besides expressing profound regret.
Although the 29-year-old vowed to make a quick return to the sport, his availability for the World Test Championship (WTC) remains uncertain due to the failed drug test.
“I am deeply sorry to all those that I have let down,” he said in a statement released by the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), the country’s players’ union.
“I will never take the privilege of playing cricket for granted. This privilege is much larger than me. It goes beyond my personal aspirations.
“I am serving a provisional suspension and I am looking forward to returning to the game I love playing.
“I couldn’t have gone through this alone. I’d like to thank my agent, Cricket South Africa (CSA) and Gujarat Titans for their support. I’d also like to thank SACA and my legal team for their guidance and counsel. Most importantly I’d like to thank my friends and family for their understanding and love. “Moving forward, this moment will not define me. I will keep doing what I have always done, continuously working hard and playing with passion and devotion to my craft.”