Cricket

KKR's Gurbaz Wins Hearts with Gloves Gift to FanAhead of the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) season opener in the Indian Premier League (IPL), wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz made a heartwarming gesture by gifting his batting gloves to a young fan.During an interaction with fans at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Gurbaz posed for pictures and surprised a young boy by handing him his gloves. The moment was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media.Gurbaz, who was retained by KKR ahead of the IPL 2024 auction, is expected to play a crucial role at the top of the order. Last season, he scored 227 runs in 11 games, including two half-centuries.Meanwhile, KKR finished seventh last season under the leadership of Nitish Rana, who replaced the injured Shreyas Iyer. Iyer is set to resume captaincy duties this season, but rumors suggest he may miss the first few games due to a back issue.During the auction, KKR made headlines by acquiring Australian pacer Mitchell Starc for a record-breaking Rs 24.75 crore. Despite spending a significant portion of their purse on Starc, KKR managed to secure nine additional players.KKR will kick off their IPL 2024 campaign against SunRisers Hyderabad on Saturday, March 23, at the Eden Gardens.

Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ireland's Harry Tector engaged in a thrilling batting duel in Sharjah, with Gurbaz's century ultimately leading Afghanistan to a 35-run victory in the first ODI of the three-match series.Gurbaz, known for his aggressive batting, smashed 121 runs off 117 deliveries, including eight fours and six sixes. His innings formed the backbone of Afghanistan's impressive total of 310 for 5. Ibrahim Zadran provided solid support with a 60-run contribution, while captain Hashmatullah Shahidi chipped in with a half-century.Ireland's chase got off to a shaky start as they lost three wickets in the powerplay, including captain Paul Stirling. However, Tector and Tucker steadied the innings with a 173-run partnership. Tector, in particular, played a magnificent knock, scoring 138 runs off 147 balls.Afghanistan's left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi proved to be the game-changer, dismissing Tucker and Andy Balbirnie in quick succession. This triggered a collapse as Ireland lost four wickets for just 42 runs. Tector fought valiantly but was eventually dismissed in the final over, leaving Ireland 35 runs short of their target.Farooqi finished with impressive figures of 4 for 51, while George Dockrell and Theo van Woerkom picked up three wickets each for Ireland.

In a thrilling encounter, Afghanistan secured a narrow three-run victory over Sri Lanka in the third T20I match in Dambulla, ending the series on a high note. The match witnessed a flurry of runs and fierce knocks from both sides, with Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka leading the charge.Afghanistan, electing to bat first, got off to a blistering start thanks to Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai's aggressive batting. The duo put on an 88-run opening stand in just 48 deliveries, punishing the Sri Lankan bowlers to all parts of the ground. Gurbaz, in particular, looked in ominous touch, striking a 43-ball 70, while Zazai contributed with a brutal 45 off 22 balls.Sri Lanka's bowlers struggled to contain the Afghan onslaught, with none able to maintain an economy rate below eight. Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, and Akila Dananjaya all bore the brunt of the punishment, conceding more than 10 runs per over.After the dismissal of Gurbaz and Zazai, Afghanistan continued to maintain a healthy scoring rate, thanks to valuable contributions from Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, and debutant Mohammed Ishaq. Ishaq, in particular, played a crucial role in the final over, striking two boundaries to push Afghanistan's total to 209 for 5.In response, Sri Lanka got off to a solid start, with Nissanka leading the charge. The diminutive opener played a blistering knock of 60 off 30 deliveries, including six fours and three sixes, before retiring hurt due to a hamstring strain. Nissanka's departure was a significant blow to Sri Lanka's chase, but Kamindu Mendis kept them in the hunt with a valiant 65 off 39 balls.Despite Nissanka and Mendis' efforts, Sri Lanka fell just short of the target, finishing on 206 for 5. Dasun Shanaka and Mendis put on a quick-fire 35-run stand in the final overs, but it wasn't enough to seal the victory.In the end, Afghanistan's bowlers held their nerve, with Nabi and Rashid Khan picking up two wickets each. The win gave Afghanistan their solitary victory in the three-match series, while Sri Lanka secured the series 2-1.