Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are in great form and have almost secured their place in the IPL 2024 playoffs thanks to their remarkable performance in this tournament recently.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are currently leading the IPL 2024 points table with 16 points from 11 games. Given KKR’s dominance this IPL season, Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz was worried about his mother’s illness and had to leave the camp in Kolkata midway.
Gurbaz took to his social media handles and revealed that he is currently not part of the KKR camp. Gurbaz revealed that he had flown back to Afghanistan to care for her ailing mother. However, the wicketkeeper-batter’s mother is now doing well and is expected to rejoin the KKR camp soon.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz is taking a short break from IPL 2024
Especially KKR’s next game in the current season IPL 2024 is set to take place against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Eden Gardens on May 11 and the opening game is expected to take place in camp before this clash and hopes to get some playing time in the tournament.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz said in a statement to X: “After a short IPL break due to my mother’s illness, I will be joining my KKR family very soon. Thank you for all the messages and prayers alhumdulillah, she is doing better now, thank you.”
After a short IPL break due to my mother’s illness, I will be joining my KKR family very soon, thanks for all the messages and prayers, alhumdulillah she is doing better now, thank you 🙏❤️
— Rahmanullah Gurbaz (@RGurbaz_21) May 7, 2024
Meanwhile, the IPL 2024 playoffs begin on May 21 and KKR opener Phil Salt is likely to miss the knockout matches this season due to his domestic commitments with the England cricket team.
Actually, England is all set to host Pakistan in a four-match T20I series on May 22 and the ECB has asked all players participating in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 to take part in the home series.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz is likely to get a chance in the IPL 2024 playoffs
This means that KKR will be without Salt during the knockout stages of the ongoing IPL 2024 and Gurbaz can be the perfect replacement for the franchise given his impressive strike rate of 138.01 in 55 T20Is.
The Afghan goalkeeper has not played a single game this season. However, in the IPL last year, Gurbaz had scored 227 runs in 7 games for Gujarat Titans at a strike rate of 133.53.
The Men in Purple and Gold have three league games left to play in the ongoing IPL 2024: against Mumbai Indians (MI) on May 11, Gujarat Titans (GT) on May 13 and Rajasthan Royals (RR) on May 19 .
The IPL 2024 playoffs will begin with eliminations on May 22 in Ahmedabad, followed by Qualifier 2 on May 24 in Chennai and the final on May 26 at the same venue at Chepauk Stadium.
On the other hand, Gurbaz also found a place in Afghanistan’s preliminary squad for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup starting June 1 in the USA and West Indies and a few games in the ongoing IPL 2024 would be great for the wicketkeeper to get into the groove for the mega- event.
Afghanistan’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik. Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi.