Although he has shown glimpses of potential, he has not fully met expectations, having scored only 363 runs in 19 IPL matches.
Wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Afghanistan has been part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2023. Although he has shown glimpses of potential, he has not fully met expectations, having scored only 363 runs in 19 IPL matches. He was part of the KKR squad that won the IPL 2024 title but did not get many opportunities to play, serving as the backup to Phil Salt.
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Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, KKR released both Phil Salt and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. While Salt went on to join RCB, Gurbaz was bought again by KKR but remained a backup option as the team also brought in Quinton de Kock. Since De Kock struggled with his form, Gurbaz got a chance to play in five matches but could only score 74 runs, failing to make a strong impact.
Now, KKR will have to decide whether to keep him for the next season or release him again. If they do release him, there are a few teams that might be interested in picking him up. Some could consider him for the playing eleven while others might see him as a useful backup. So let us take a look at three teams that could target him in the IPL 2026 auction.
Chennai Super Kings could be one of the teams that could look to target Rahmanullah Gurbaz during the IPL 2026 auction if KKR releases him. With Dhoni’s future not confirmed yet whether he will play the IPL 2026 or whether that will be his last season, so CSK might look for a keeper who can be a part of the squad in the coming years and Gurbaz can be an option.
Urvil Patel is also a keeper which CSK has but if we look at the top order of CSK, especially overseas, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway both had a disappointing season and because of that CSK tried young batters like Ayush Mhatre and Shaik Rasheed in the lineup. There could be a possibility that they might release the likes of Rachin and Conway so for the replacement they could target Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the auction.
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Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru could also be one of the teams that might look to target Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the IPL 2026 auction if KKR releases him. RCB already has Phil Salt as their opening wicketkeeper-batter, who performed brilliantly last season and played a key role in their title win. He is most likely to be retained by the team.
However, RCB still does not have a reliable backup for Phil Salt. They had picked Tim Seifert as a temporary replacement during the season when some players missed matches due to a one-week suspension caused by political tensions between India and Pakistan. Since Seifert was only a short-term replacement, RCB cannot retain him.
Just like Salt, Gurbaz also likes to open the innings and dominate in the powerplay. The batting conditions at Chinnaswamy might suit his aggressive style as well. So, Gurbaz could be a player they consider targeting in the upcoming auction.
Mumbai Indians might also look to target Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the IPL 2026 auction if KKR releases him. MI has Ryan Rickelton in the squad, who had a very good IPL 2025 season, which was also his debut in the league. But he had to miss the playoffs because of the WTC 2025 Final.
The IPL got suspended due to India Pakistan tensions, so it was delayed by one week. Because of that, Rickelton had to leave for international commitments, and as a temporary replacement, Mumbai bought Jonny Bairstow. He played two matches and was impressive, but he cannot be retained. So Mumbai might look to target him again, but if he gets sold elsewhere, they might also consider going after Gurbaz in the auction, as he is an attacking batter who can exploit bowlers in the powerplay and is also a wicketkeeping option.
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