Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Rahmanullah Gurbaz - new cricketer from Afghanistan
Rahmanullah Gurbaz is a relatively new name in Afghan cricket. Nevertheless, by the age of 19, this player managed to declare himself. At the beginning of 2021, he made a great debut with the national team in the One Day International format. Gurbaz became the first batsman in the history of Afghanistan to score a century in his debut match. Rahmanullah made 127 runs.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz: general information
The player was born in November 2001. Rahmanullah Gurbaz is most successful in the position of wicketkeeper-batsman. He plays right-handed. Experts note that this cricketer plays equally well both at the club level and for the national team. Rahmanullah Gurbaz also has a good reading of the game and a high movement speed on the lawn.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz: junior years
In January 2017, Rahmanullah Gurbaz was part of the Afghanistan A team, which played a one-day match with Zimbabwe A. However, he did not come out for the match, which the Afghans won with a difference of 6 wickets. In the Twenty20 format, he made his debut in the Shpageeza Cricket League. In this prestigious tournament, Gurbaz joined the Mis Ainak Knights. His club came out of second place in the playoffs and eventually reached the final. In the decisive stage, Mis Ainak Knights lost to Band-e-Amir Dragons with a difference of 4 runs. Rahmanullah did not immediately become one of the team’s leaders, but he took to the field almost on a regular basis.
In December 2017, the coaches of the Afghanistan national team announced that Rahmanullah Gurbaz would join the team at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup. The tournament was held in 2018 in New Zealand. Among the participants, there were 16 best teams in the world. At the group stage, they were divided into four groups. The Afghans got into Group D, where their opponents were Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Ireland. In the first match, the Afghans defeated Pakistan in the fight (with a difference of 5 wickets). Then they confidently won against Sri Lanka, outrunning the opponent by 32 runs. The Afghan national team failed to take first place in the group, as in the third meeting, the team lost to Ireland in the fight. In the 1/4 finals, the Afghans defeated New Zealand. Rahmanullah Gurbaz showed himself especially well in this match, scoring 69 runs. For reaching the final, the Afghan national team met with Australia and suffered an insulting defeat — with a difference of 6 wickets.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz: adult career
In the autumn of 2018, Rahmanullah Gurbaz played for the Paktia Panthers in the Afghanistan Premier League (Twenty20 format). His club won five matches and lost three. Gurbaz made a mark in the second meeting with Balkh Legends. The player scored 33 runs. However, the partners did not particularly support Rahmanullah’s impulse. As a result, the team lost without a chance. But in general, the results of the Paktia Panthers allowed them to take second place in the standings. At the start of the playoffs, the club lost to Kabul Zwanan (with a difference of 90 runs) and took third place.
In December 2019, Rahmanullah Gurbaz played in the foreign championship for the first time. He played for Khulna Tigers in Bangladesh Premier League. According to the regular season results, the club was in the first place, surpassing Rajshahi Royals and Chattogram Challengers in additional indicators. At the start of the playoffs, Rajshahi Royals was beaten with a difference of 27 runs. Khulna Tigers lost to this opponent in the final. In July 2020, the player played for Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League.
A landmark in Rahmanullah’s career is the One Day International match, held in January 2021 against Ireland. The player scored 127 runs, setting a record. None of the Afghans had previously made a hundred or more runs at this level. “I had the support of the coach and our senior players. I did not feel as if this was my first match because they were very supportive and encouraged me, so I did not feel any pressure as such,” Rahmanullah Gurbaz said after the historic match.
In April 2021, Gurbaz was part of Multan Sultans, which competed in the championship of Pakistan.
