Rahmanullah Gurbaz recalls MS Dhoni’s profound influence on his cricket career: “He gave me a lot of confidence at a time when I was under so much pressure.”

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, a fiery wicketkeeper-batter for Afghanistan, gushed about the revered former Indian captain MS Dhoni and referred to him as his biggest hero. Gurbaz recalled how Dhoni’s words affected him profoundly and long after their meeting in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL).

Rahmanullah Gurbaz demonstrated his batting prowess when playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2023. He amassed 227 runs in 11 games, sporting a commendable average of 20.64 and an excellent strike rate of 133.53, and did so while representing the team. He now plays for the Jaffna Kings team in the Sri Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2023.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz admitted that during their first encounter, he was too overwhelmed to talk to MS Dhoni. But the inspirational words of the renowned cricketer stuck with him, and he treasured the gifts from Dhoni since they served as reminders to be positive in trying circumstances and rekindled his enthusiasm for the game.

When asked about their initial encounter, Gurbaz recalled, “The first time I met MS, that was the time when I was with the Gujarat Titans. I felt so much pressure that I was unable to communicate with him. But because of how he spoke to me and how he handled me, I felt really confident, so I spoke with him,” he said to CricketNext.

I have Dhoni’s written the following in my notepad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Rahmanullah Gurbaz attentively recorded Dhoni’s helpful observations in his notebook while seeking his advice during the IPL 2023. Gurbaz recalls asking for advice on how to improve his lifestyle and cricket abilities.

“This year, I approached him feeling extremely confident, and we spoke about cricket, lifestyle, etc. How can I change my way of life, I questioned him. How can I maintain getting better at cricket? He spoke with me, and I still have all the details written down in my notepad. I made a list of everything that was useful to me and would be useful to me in the future. He will always be my hero, I suppose,” he said.

Gurbaz, who dazzled with his strong hitting abilities for Cape Town Samp Army in the just-finished Zim Afro T10, ended up being the tournament’s top run-scorer with 282 runs in nine games, including two incredible half-centuries.