Afghanistan's Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz Overcomes Struggles to Become a Star

Afghanistan's opener, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, had a tough road to becoming a cricketer. To play cricket, he had to work secretly, buy a bat with his own earnings, only for his brother to break it. But despite all the obstacles, he is now one of Afghanistan’s top batters, ranked 8th in the ICC ODI Batting Rankings and 15th in T20Is.

Born in Khost province, Gurbaz used to play football in his childhood. However, watching cricket on television sparked his love for the game. His family, though, did not want him to pursue cricket. His father, a school principal, wanted Gurbaz to become a doctor or an engineer. Gurbaz was also good in his studies but fell in love with cricket after the 6th grade.

Once, when many guests were at their house, his brother asked him to bring tea. However, while on the way, Gurbaz forgot about the tea because he got caught up in playing cricket. In a fit of rage, his brother broke his bat. None of his family members supported his passion for cricket.

Since his family couldn’t support his cricket ambitions financially, Gurbaz decided to work secretly. While their house was being built, he started working under a contractor. However, the condition was that his father and brother shouldn’t find out. He said, "I told the contractor that if you give someone $10, give me $5. But don't tell my family. I’ll work hard."

In just 16 days of work, he was able to buy a bat and gloves for himself. But his brother broke the bat again. However, his brother soon realized that Gurbaz was truly dedicated to cricket and started supporting him gradually.

When Gurbaz was selected for Afghanistan’s U-19 team at the age of 15, he still didn’t have his own bat. Before a match against India, he was asking other players to lend him a bat, but no one was willing because everyone only had one bat. In the end, he played with a broken bat.

At the age of 16, he made his debut in the Shpageza Cricket League for Mis Ainak Knights, but in his first two matches, he was dismissed for a duck. However, his talent gradually began to shine, and he secured a spot in the national team.

In 2021, he made history by scoring a century on his ODI debut. He then improved his skills by playing in the BPL, Lanka Premier League, and IPL. In the 2023 IPL, he scored 227 runs in 11 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders. Although he was kept on the bench in 2024, he continued to practice every day. His hard work paid off in the T20 World Cup, where he became the highest run-scorer of the tournament.

Afghanistan came very close to reaching the semifinals of the 2023 ODI World Cup but just missed out. However, they made history by reaching the semifinals of the T20 World Cup. Gurbaz believes that they are no longer behind the bigger teams. "We can now win against any team, in any condition," he says.

Gurbaz believes that cricket is the only source of joy for the Afghan people. "When we win a match, the people celebrate like it's Eid. That’s why we work hard because we want to see smiles on their faces," he adds.

Once, his family did not allow him to play cricket, but now they are his biggest fans. In the 2022 Shpageza League, one of his brothers from the gallery shouted to him, "Play carefully, make sure you score a century!"

Gurbaz now has even bigger dreams. His next goal is to help Afghanistan win a major trophy.