"I Have All The Things Written In My Notebook" - Rahmanullah Gurbaz Recalls His Meeting With His Idol MS Dhoni During IPL 2023

Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz expressed his admiration for the legendary skipper MS Dhoni, considering him his idol. Rahmanullah Gurbaz recalled meeting MS Dhoni during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, highlighting that his words left a lasting impact on him.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz represented the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2023 and scored 227 runs in 11 matches with an average of 20.64 and a decent strike rate of 133.53. The right-handed batter is currently representing the Jaffna Kings franchise in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2023.

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He Gave Me A Lot Of Confidence – Rahmanullah Gurbaz

In a conversation with CricketNext, Rahmanullah Gurbaz revealed that he was unable to talk to MS Dhoni during his first meeting with him.

“I will remember his words forever. I still have everything which I got from him, I have all those things in my bag. Whenever I feel a little bit stressed, I just see those things and start thinking about why I started playing cricket. That gives me a lot of confidence.

“The first time I met MS, that was the time when I was with Gujarat Titans. I was not able to talk to him because I was under so much pressure. But the way he treated me, the way he talked to me, he gave me a lot of confidence and then I had a word with him.”

Gurbaz showcased his powerful hitting abilities for the Cape Town Samp Army team in the Zim Afro T10. He was the leading run-getter of the tournament, scoring 282 runs in nine matches, including two half-centuries.

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Rahmanullah Gurbaz said that he noted down Dhoni’s valuable insights in his notebook as he sought advice on improving his cricket and lifestyle during the IPL 2023.

“This year when I met him, I was very confident and I talked to him about cricket, lifestyle, etc. I asked him, how can I improve my lifestyle? How can I keep improving my cricket?

“He had a word with me and even now I have all the things written in my notebook. I noted down everything which helped me a lot and will also help me in the future. So, yeah, he will be my idol, forever,” he concluded.

Gurbaz played one match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2023. The KKR batter could only manage to score one run off four balls.

Also read: LPL 2023: Watch – Naseem Shah Gives Fiery Send-off To Rahmanullah Gurbaz Following Ramesh Mendis’ Sensational Catch