Kolkata Knight Riders opening batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz left his sick mother’s side so his ‘other family’ KKR required him to bat in the IPL playoffs. Following Phil Salt’s departure for national responsibilities, the KKR management called the Afghanistan cricket player, who had to take a plane home to take care of his mother in the midst of the competition. With his mother’s approval, Gurbaz made the difficult decision to travel to India to compete in the IPL playoffs.
“My mother is still ill. I was there ( in Afghanistan). I received a call from KKR as soon as Phil Salt departed. ‘Gurbaz, we’ll need you; what is the situation now?’ they contacted me. I agreed to be here. I talk to my mother every day while she is still in the hospital undergoing treatment. Well, KKR is also my family. I was needed here. I returned from Afghanistan. It’s difficult, but I must persist,” said Gurbaz to the press.
In his opening IPL 2024 encounter, the Qualifier 1 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the attacking right-hander struck two fours and two sixes to give KKR a blazing start in the 160-run chase. Gurbaz’s 14-ball 23 prevented KKR from sensing the absence of Phil Salt. To advance to their third final, the two-time winners won the game by eight wickets with 6.2 overs remaining.
In the previous season, Gurbaz featured as KKR’s first-choice keeper-batter. At a strike rate of 133, he scored 227 runs in 11 games in IPL 2023. However, KKR chose Salt in the place of England opener Jason Roy, who pulled out from IPL 2024.
“Let me make this clear. As an cricketer, you know what to do. Only four overseas players are allowed to play in the starting lineup. in League Cricket. Do your best when you’ve been chosen. If there isn’t a chance, you still need to be ready and well-prepared whenever the opportunity arises,” he continued.
