"Unstoppable monster" - Fans react to KKR opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz's onslaught against GT in IPL 2023 

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz played a scintillating knock against Gujarat Titans (GT) at Eden Gardens on Saturday, April 29.

Gurbaz replaced Jason Roy in KKR's playing XI, as the latter had to sit out due to a back spasm. The Afghan batter made the most of his chance, smashing a terrific half-century after Kolkata were asked to bat first by Gujarat in the IPL 2023 contest.

The right-handed batter stole the show with his strokeplay, taking the GT bowlers to the cleaners. Gurbaz mustered 81 runs off just 39 balls, finishing with an outstanding strike rate of 207.69.

He struck seven sixes and five fours before finally being dismissed by Noor Ahmad in the 16th over of KKR's innings. Following his knock, many fans took to social media, praising Gurbaz for his swashbuckling batting.

Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter:

Interestingly, Gurbaz was a part of the GT side in the previous season of the IPL. However, the team management benched him for the entire season as he didn't get a single opportunity to prove his worth.

The dynamic batter's hitting against his Afghan teammate Rashid Khan garnered a lot of buzz. He accumulated 30 runs from 11 balls against the crafty leg spinner.

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KKR post a 180-run target for GT at Eden Gardens

Rahmanullah Gurbaz fought a lone battle as Kolkata's remaining top-order batters failed to score substantially in the contest. His opening partner, Narayan Jagadeesan, was dismissed for 19.

In a strange move, KKR promoted Shardul Thakur to No. 3. However, the move didn't yield positive results for them as the bowling all-rounder bagged a four-ball duck.

Gurbaz didn't receive enough support from his partners, but he continued to score runs at a brisk pace, making it tougher for the GT bowlers. Andre Russell chipped in with a valuable cameo towards the back-end, scoring 34 off 19 balls.

For Gujarat, Mohammed Shami was the pick of the bowlers. The veteran pacer bagged three wickets and conceded 33 runs from his full quota of four overs. Kolkata ultimately finished on 179/7 after 20 overs.