Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter, had to leave the KKR squad in the middle of IPL 2024 due to a family emergency. However, the cricketer has given an update about his availability and said that he’ll rejoin the Kolkata Knight Riders squad soon.
The Afghanistan cricketer had made his Indian Premier League debut for Gujarat Titans but was traded by the Kolkata Knight Riders on trade ahead of the IPL 2023 tournament. He repaid the faith by scoring 227 runs in 7 matches for the franchise at a strike rate of 133.53, including two fifties.
However, in the ongoing IPL 2024 tournament, Gurbaz didn’t get a chance to play a single match due to the presence of England’s Phil Salt in the batting order. Salt, who was brought in by KKR as an injury replacement, has scored 249 runs in 7 matches for the franchise, with a stunning strike rate of 169.39. He has an average of 41.50 and has performed admirably as the team’s wicketkeeper.
I will join my KKR family very soon: Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the Kolkata Knight Riders’ opener and wicketkeeper, said on Tuesday that he will rejoin the squad after traveling home to Afghanistan due to his mother’s illness. Gurbaz returned to Kabul on May 1 to care for his ailing mother. He is expected to join the team next week, according to reports.
“After a short break from IPL due to my mother’s illness, i will join my kkr family very soon, thanks for all the messages and prayers, alhumdulillah she is feeling better now thanks,” Gurbaz informed on social media.
After a short break from IPL due to my mother’s illness, i will join my kkr family very soon, thanks for all the messages and prayers, alhumdulillah she is feeling better now thanks 🙏❤️
— Rahmanullah Gurbaz (@RGurbaz_21) May 7, 2024
KKR now leads the table with 16 points after 8 victories in 11 games, making them fairly secure of a playoff spot. The two-time champions have three league matches left to play: against the Mumbai Indians on May 11, the Gujarat Titans on May 13, and the Rajasthan Royals on May 19.
The IPL playoffs will begin with the Eliminator on May 22 in Ahmedabad, followed by Qualifier 2 on May 24 in Chennai, and finally the final on May 26 in Chennai.
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