Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be looking for the perfect start to their defence of the Indian Premier League (IPL) crown when they take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the season opener at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on March 22.
Although KKR have put together a solid squad for the new season, everything is not hunky-dory for the three-time champions. One of the biggest headaches for KKR over the last few seasons has been its top order. The lack of a reliable opening combination might continue to haunt the side this season as well.
The poor form of Afghanistan’s keeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz has become a cause for concern for the team as he continued to struggle during intra-squad practice matches.
Watching Gurbaz getting out for six runs off a juicy full-toss from West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell in a practice match on Saturday might have forced the team management to weigh other options for the opening slot.
The right-handed batter, known for his aggressive batting style, has been part of KKR since 2023. So far, he has featured in 13 matches for them, scoring 289 runs.
In the 2024 edition, Gurbaz got only limited opportunities to showcase his talent since the team management opted for the opening combination Phil Salt and Sunil Narine.
In fact, Gurbaz has been going through a lean patch in franchise leagues in recent times. In the SA20 league, he managed to score a total of 151 runs from six innings for Pretoria Capitals, including two 40-plus scores. In the International League T20, he featured only in three games for Desert Vipers, scoring just seven runs. He opened the innings for Vipers in the final against Dubai Capitals, but could score only five runs.
South African Quinton de Kock, one of the expensive signings by KKR for the season, has also been battling indifferent form. KKR spent Rs 3.6 crore to buy him for the keeper/opening slot, but his dip in form is a worrying sign for them although he smashed 52 off just 22 balls in the intra-squad game on Sunday. The left-handed batter opened for Durban's Super Giants in the SA20 in right matches, tallying only 159 runs at an ordinary strike rate of 115.
The third option for KKR for the keeper-opener slot is Karnataka’s Luvnith Sisodia.
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