Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Rahmanullah Gurbaz has risen through the ranks to become one of Afghanistan's key batters in limited overs cricket. Famous wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad's replacement, Gurbaz was quick to make an impression in the international arena in 2019. Batting at the top of the order, his aggressive brand of cricket suited T20 cricket. But the wicketkeeper-batter has always wanted to be  an all-format player.

Afghanistan needed stability in their batting department, especially in the top-order. Gurbaz and his team-mate from his junior days - Ibrahim Zadran - have been able to provide that. In 2021, Gurbaz became the first-ever Afghanistan batter to notch up a ton on ODI debut. Initially known for his boundary-hitting skills, Gurbaz has learned the art of playing the waiting game as well which has helped him negotiate some tough spells against the new ball. He's a quick runner between the wickets and also competent with the gloves behind the sticks.

He raised two centuries apiece in 2022 and 2023 in the ODIs and made significant contributions in Afghanistan's win over England and Pakistan during the 2023 World Cup. In the same year, he also recorded his maiden T20I hundred. Afghanistan entered the semifinal of the 2024 T20 World Cup and Gurbaz played a vital role in it as he ended up as the leading run-getter of the tournament.

Currently, he holds the record for the most ODI centuries scored by an Afghanistan player. Gurbaz is an asset to have for any team and has tasted success in franchise cricket having played in various T20 leagues around the world.