Rahmanullah Gurbaz, an Afghanistan cricketer, had to make a tough decision when he left his sick mother in the hospital to join his IPL team, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), for the playoffs. He had returned home during the tournament to be with his mother, who was very ill. However, about 10 days ago, the KKR management called him back after Phil Salt left to fulfill his national team commitments.
Gurbaz said it was a hard choice, but he sought his mother’s blessings and decided to go to India to help his team in the IPL playoffs. Despite his mother still being unwell, he felt a strong sense of duty towards his “other family,” the KKR team. “My mom is still sick. I went there (back home in Afghanistan). I got a call from KKR once Phil Salt was leaving.”
“They called me and messaged me, saying, ‘Gurbaz, we need you; what is your situation?’. I said I’ll come. My mother is still recovering in the hospital, I speak to her every day. But I knew my KKR was also my family. They needed me here. So I came back from Afghanistan. It’s hard, it’s tough but I have to manage,” Gurbaz said in the post-match press conference at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmadabad.
Gurbaz’s Quickfire 23 Guides KKR to IPL Final
In his first match of IPL 2024, the Qualifier 1 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz gave Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) a strong start in their chase of 160 runs by hitting two fours and two sixes. His quick 23 runs off 14 balls helped KKR overcome the absence of Phil Salt. KKR won the match convincingly by eight wickets with 6.2 overs remaining, securing a spot in their third final.
Last season, Gurbaz was KKR’s main keeper-batter, playing 11 matches and scoring 227 runs with a strike rate of 133. However, when Jason Roy withdrew from the 17th edition, KKR brought in Phil Salt as a replacement. Salt was immediately made the primary keeper-batter and opener, partnering with Sunil Narine to provide explosive starts.
Salt excelled, scoring 435 runs in 12 matches with an impressive strike rate of 182. Gurbaz had to wait for his turn, but he stayed ready and seized his opportunity when it came. “I should clarify this. As a cricketer, you know what to do. In League Cricket, only four overseas players can play in the XI. If you have an opportunity, you should try and do well. If you do not have an opportunity, you should prepare well and be ready. Whenever you get a chance, you have to be ready,” Gurbaz said.
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