IPL 2025: KKR buy Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Quinton de Kock
Afghanistan's cricket sensation Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been successfully picked by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2025 mega auction. The opening batsman was bought at his base price of ₹2 crore. This isn't Gurbaz's first stint with KKR as he had previously played for the team in the last edition of IPL. Just before that, the Knight Riders got South Africa's Quinton de Kock for ₹3.6 crore. With this, KKR have two valuable wicketkeeping options and opening batters.
Gurbaz's IPL journey: From Gujarat Titans to KKR
Gurbaz's IPL journey started in 2022 when he was signed by the Gujarat Titans as a replacement for Jason Roy. However, he didn't get an opportunity to play any game for the Gujarat-based team that season. Ahead of the 2023 season, Gurbaz was traded to KKR where he made his IPL debut and played 11 games, scoring 227 runs with two half-centuries.
Gurbaz's performance in IPL 2024 and T20 World Cup
In IPL 2024 season, Gurbaz struggled to make it to KKR's playing 11 with Phil Salt and Sunil Narine preferred as openers. He only got a chance to open the innings toward the end of the tournament when Salt departed for England. Despite featuring in just three games, Gurbaz scored 62 runs. After IPL, he dazzled at the T20 World Cup, scoring 281 runs with three fifties and emerging as the highest run-scorer.
De Kock has a lot of experience in the IPL
De Kock has played for a host of franchises in the IPL. He owns 3,157 runs at 31.25. He owns 23 fifties and two tons. He scored 1,329 runs for Mumbai Indians from 43 matches at 34.07. In a solitary season with the RCB, he managed 201 runs at 25.12. He managed six runs across three games for SRH. For Delhi Capitals, he racked up 720 runs from 23 matches at 32.72. He scored 901 runs for LSG at 31.06.
