IPL 2023: Rahmanullah Gurbaz Opines on Why Shardul Thakur Did not Bowl against Gujarat Titans

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz has said that he was unsure as to why the key all-rounder Shardul Thakur did not bowl against Gujarat Titans in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Saturday, April 29 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. However, Thakur came into bat at No. 3 but he got out for a duck.

He did not bowl a single over as GT registered a comfortable seven-wicket victory while chasing 180 as well. At a post-match press conference, Gurbaz was asked about this and he replied:

“If you are not fit enough, then you will not play. It might be that the team doesn’t need him to bowl. The captain knows it better. The coach and management know better than me. I can’t say anything on this. This might be a special plan. They might have discussed it before the game. He might have liked to bat in the top order. He might not have been fit enough to bowl. I can’t say anything on this. Coaches and captain know better than me.”

However, promoted to No. 3, Shardul Thakur tried to go after Mohammed Shami but he was brilliantly caught by Mohit Sharma. He has so far played six matches in the ongoing IPL 2023. He has also picked up two wickets which came at an average of 68.50 and has scored 101 runs at a strike rate of 183.64 as well.

IPL 2023: “We should try to get the momentum back” – Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Even as KKR lost to GT, Gurbaz was among the few positives from the game as he played a stunning knock of 81 off just 39 balls with the help of five fours and seven sixes. He was particularly taken on his Afghanistan teammate Rashid Khan, who finished with figures of 0/54 from his four overs as well.

While talking about his assault on the experienced leggie, Gurbaz said: “I can’t say [batting against] Rashid is easy. For everyone, he is difficult. He is one of the best. But, I had a simple plan against him – if he bowls a loose ball to me, I will go for it. That was my simple plan to build my innings.”

However, after a decent start to their campaign, KKR have now lost five games of their last six matches as well. While talking about the team’s plans going ahead, the veteran batter said:

“We should try to get the momentum back. We played really well at the start and won some matches as well. But sometimes luck does not work. Everyone is working hard, 100 percent. We tried out best, but the end result was on their side. We can’t do anything on that.”

KKR will next take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday, May 4 as well.