A recent video has gone viral on social media where Rahmanullah Gurbaz was seen with KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan at the D’YAVOL event in Dubai, yesterday.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the promising Afghan wicketkeeper-batter, joined the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after Gujarat Titans bought him initially in the IPL.
His transfer to KKR was not through an auction but as part of a trade where he was bought for his base price of 50 Lakhs INR. It is a common practice in IPL for franchises adjusting their squads. Before this, Gurbaz was brought in as the replacement for Gujarat Titans in 2022. However, he didn’t get to play any matches for them that season.
KKR bought the Afghan player in a trade as he had an explosive batting style and is a sensational wicketkeeper. He is an asset for T20 cricket. Gurbaz has been part of many franchises in T20 leagues all over the world. He has displayed his talent before making a significant mark in the IPL with KKR. Gurbaz wanted to prove his worth in the biggest T20 league in the world.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz is unlikely to be retained by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction
Meanwhile, the deadline of announcing the retention list ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction is fast approaching. All the teams are preparing for it and so are Kolkata Knight Riders.
Reports say that KKR are not sure of retaining their captain Shreyas Iyer. Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana are ahead in the pick list.
Even Gurbaz is unlikely to be retained by KKR in the upcoming mega auction. Gurbaz has played 14 matches in the IPL, scored 289 runs at an average of 22.2 with a strike rate of 133.8. He has two half centuries under his name in the league.
