• Sportzyverse
• IPL 2024
• 05/22/2024
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KKR’s stellar performance with the ball in hand has got everyone buzzing. They outplayed SRH in the first Qualifier of IPL 2024 to make way into their fourth IPL final.

Regarding this performance, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the Afghani Opener, bestowed great praises on the bowlers. Talking about his team’s bowlers the opener said, “KKR has the best bowling attack in IPL 2024.” And the player might just be right with this bold statement.

Kolkata’s bowlers have performed as a unit this season. They have stuck together and produced great results with the ball in hand. An example of it came in the game against SRH, where their bowling attack, led by Mitchell Starc, who claimed three wickets, didn’t let SRH off the hook and got them all out for a score of 159.

KKR went on to win the game with eight wickets and 6.2 overs to spare.

Balancing Family and Professional Commitments

Afghanistan cricketer Rahmanullah Gurbaz had to make a heart-wrenching decision to leave his ailing mother in the hospital to rejoin his “other family,” the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), for the IPL playoffs. After receiving a call from the KKR management following Phil Salt’s departure for national duties, Gurbaz took his mother’s blessings and flew back to India.

In the post-match press conference at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gurbaz shared his struggle: “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.”

In his first match back, the Qualifier 1 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gurbaz made an immediate impact. His 14-ball 23-run knock, including two fours and as many sixes, gave KKR a blistering start in their 160-run chase. KKR won the match by eight wickets with 6.2 overs to spare, securing a place in their fourth IPL final.

Gurbaz’s Journey with KKR

Gurbaz was KKR’s first-choice keeper-batter last season, playing 11 matches and scoring 227 runs at a strike rate of 133. However, with Jason Roy’s withdrawal and Phil Salt’s inclusion as a replacement, Gurbaz had to bide his time. Salt’s impressive performance, scoring 435 runs in just 12 matches at a strike rate of 182, meant Gurbaz had to wait for his opportunity.

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Reflecting on his preparation and mindset, Gurbaz said, “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.”

Mitchell Starc, who returned to the IPL for a record-breaking $2.9 million, delivered a stellar performance in the playoff. His 3-34 helped KKR restrict Hyderabad, who had won the toss, to a subpar total. KKR then cruised to 164-2 in just 13.4 overs, thanks to unbeaten half-centuries from captain Shreyas Iyer (58) and Venkatesh Iyer (51).