New Delhi, May 19, 2023: Kolkata Knight Riders opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz is looking forward to ‘settle scores’ with his Afghan teammate Naveen-ul-Haq in their final IPL league match against Lucknow Super Giants, in Kolkata on Saturday.
The mercurial Afghan pacer always “teases” Gurbaz for dismissing him during their practice matches and this time the wicketkeeper-batter wants to give him back.
“In practice matches he (Naveen) got me out every time, and he always keeps telling me that ‘I got you out, I got you out’… But once the real time comes, I’m gonna hit him,” Gurbaz said in a lighter vein in an interaction posted in KKR Knight Club.
Gurbaz further said he hopes to smash Naveen for sixes this time.
“I met him once in a T10 match and hit him for some boundaries. But this time, I hope I hit him for some sixes,” said Gurbaz, who has 217 runs from 10 matches this season.
Naveen, who made headlines for his bust-up with star premier Indian batter Virat Kohli earlier this season, has played six matches this season and bagged seven wickets.
He made a comeback in their last match against Mumbai Indians but only to return wicketless with figures of 0/37 from his full quota.
Gurbaz, however, rated his 23-year-old teammate highly.
“He’s one of the best bowlers in the T20 circuit. He’s very smart and very skillfull bowler,” Gurbaz said.
Third placed LSG, who have 15 points from 13 matches, just need a win to confirm their playoff berth, while seventh placed KKR are on the brink of elimination and only have mathematical probability to make the cut according to the reports published in rediff.com.
“LSG are a good team and have the momentum. But we also won our last match. We will try our best to make it possible,” Gurbaz said.
Summing up their season, he said: “We have lost a few games by small margins which we could have won. Luck was not in our favour.
“But we will give our best to win by very good NRR and hope everything works in our favour.
“But (fans) please don’t be disappointed, if we fail to make it. We tried our best and will make it happen next year. Believe in ourselves,” he signed off with a message to KKR supporters.
