In Qualifier 1, two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets on Tuesday, marching straight into the Indian Premier League (IPL) final in Ahmedabad. After Hyderabad achieved a below-average 159 thanks to pacer Mitchell Starc’s powerplay burst, an all-around KKR team produced a strong batting display to go to their fourth IPL final.
Even without the services of prolific English opener Phil Salt, KKR easily overcame the opposition, reaching the finish line in just 14 overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the keeper-batter, performed brilliantly in the clinical chase of 159, scoring 23 off of just 14 balls at the top of the order.
Gurbaz revealed following the match that, despite knowing that Salt wouldn’t be available for the knockout stages, he had returned to represent KKR while his mother was recuperating in a hospital back in Afghanistan.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s Mother Is Still In Hopital
While playing the Qualifier one, Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s mother was still in hospital, Gurbaz said :
“My mother is still recovering in the hospital, I speak to her every day. But I knew my KKR family needed me here once Phil Salt left. So I came back from Afghanistan, and I’m happy to be here. My mother is happy for me too,” Gurbaz said in the media interaction after the game.
Salt and other English players had already gone home to play a four-game Twenty20 International series against Pakistan in order to be ready for the T20 World Cup, which will take place in the Americas next month.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz played his first game of the season on Tuesday, with Salt participating throughout the league phase. Rahmanullah Gurbaz contributed 23 runs and two catches to KKR’s convincing victory in Qualifier 1. With the victory, KKR secured a spot in the May 26 IPL 2024 championship.
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