• By Namrata Vijay
  • Wed, 22 May 2024 03:22 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

KKR vs SRH, IPL 2024 Qualifier 1: Kolkata Knight Riders wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz credited mentor Gautam Gambhir, owner Shah Rukh Khan, and head coach Chandrakant Pandit for helping him get rid of the pressure just before IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. KKR defeated SRH by eight wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday as they stormed their way to the finals, which will be held on Sunday at Chepauk.  
 
Gurbaz had warmed the bench throughout the group-stage matches and only returned to the playing XI after Phil Salt flew back to England due to international commitment. He didn't disappoint as he scored 23 runs off 14 balls, in which he hit two fours and two sixes, but was later dismissed by T Natrajan. Gurbaz also stitched a steady partnership of 44 runs for the first wicket with Sunil Narine in 3.2 overs.  
 
“If you have top management like KKR, you don’t need to worry about anything. GG sir is there, Shah Rukh sir is there, and the head coach is there. They are family and it’s all because of them. I have not played for a long time, and it is big pressure coming directly into the playoffs. They took all the pressure off me and told me to just go out and enjoy,” Gurbaz told reporters in the post-match press conference.  
 
Everyone Is Happy: Gurbaz

SRH skipper Pat Cummins had won the toss and chose to bat first, where the KKR bowlers skittled SRH out for 159 runs in 19.3 overs on a pitch that was batting-friendly. Mitchell Starc was the pick among the bowlers as he took three wickets. Gurbaz didn’t shy away from admitting that they have the best bowling lineup in the tournament.  
 
“It was a bad day for them (SRH) and we bowled well. No doubt, we have the best bowling attack in the IPL,” he added.  

Gurbaz was dismissed as he tried to hit the ball towards off-side. He misjudged his shot and Vijaykanth Viyaskanth, who was standing at the offside took the brilliant catch.  
 
“Yes, I got out by my intent was good. I got the same ball that I expected; it’s just that I could not middle the ball. I got myself in a good position, but sometimes you get out on the balls you want. I am not disappointed, but I wanted to score more. But we won the game, and everyone is happy,” he further said.  
 
The Shreyas Iyer-led side chased down the target quite comfortably with 38 balls remaining. Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer scored half-centuries each and led the team to its fourth IPL final.