Sunil Gavaskar advocates for Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s inclusion in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) starting lineup for IPL 2024. KKR fans would be hoping that the inclusion of Gautam Gambhir in the management can change the fortunes of the franchise who hasn’t been consistent over the recent couple of seasons.
In the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) likely starting lineup for IPL 2024, Mitchell Starc, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine are anticipated to occupy three of the four overseas slots. Rahmanullah Gurbaz could fight with Jason Roy for the remaining overseas position.
I have liked Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s batting a lot- Sunil Gavaskar
During his discussion on Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar addressed the wicket-keeper-batter issue for the Kolkata Knight Riders, particularly if they include Jason Roy in the playing XI. He elaborated,
“I have liked Gurbaz’s batting a lot based on whatever I have seen. He is extremely aggressive, and his batting is like a slight copy of MS Dhoni, and that is why I probably like it,”
Gavaskar also emphasized that Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s exemplary conduct off the field should be considered when selecting the Kolkata Knight Riders’ playing XI.
When the World Cup ended, after that, the job he did, he gave money to the people sleeping on the footpath. For doing that, he has to definitely be in the team for me,” added Sunil Gavaskar.
In IPL 2023, Rahmanullah Gurbaz managed to accumulate 227 runs across 11 innings, averaging 20.64. Despite registering only two half-centuries, his standout performance came against the Gujarat Titans at the Eden Gardens, where he smashed 81 runs off just 39 deliveries.
It Is Not Going To Be Easy – Sunil Gavaskar on KKR’s Playoff Qualification Prospects Ahead of IPL 2024
Sunil Gavaskar believes that for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to secure a playoff spot in IPL 2024, their Indian batting quartet comprising Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, and Venkatesh Iyer will need to step up, especially if the pitch at the Eden Gardens favors spinners due to its slow nature.
“Not going to be easy (playoff qualification). They have to because they have got the experience, not only of playing on those kinds of pitches, of having played in the IPL for a while,”
Sunil Gavaskar also noted that KKR’s four key Indian batsmen, particularly Rinku Singh, have been delivering commendable performances for the franchise recently.
“I think that experience does come in very handy because you know what the pressure is and you know how to handle it. All these four players have done it exceptionally well. Rinku Singh, in particular, in the last year or so has been tremendous,” Sunil Gavaskar observed.
In the absence of Shreyas Iyer due to back issues, Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana, and Venkatesh Iyer emerged as Kolkata Knight Riders’ top three run-scorers in IPL 2023, accumulating 474, 413, and 404 runs respectively.