IPL 2025: Why is Quinton de Kock not part of KKR playing 11 vs GT?

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opted to make a major change ahead of their high-stakes match against Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 21 in the ongoing IPL 2025, benching their South African star Quinton de Kock.

 

Team skipper Ajinkya Rahane confirmed the change during the toss, announcing that Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz would take over the wicketkeeping duties in place of de Kock.

 

Why Was Quinton de Kock Left Out?

Despite being signed by KKR for INR 3.6 crore, de Kock has struggled to find consistency this season. Aside from a standout knock of 97*, his contributions have been underwhelming—scoring just 46 runs across six other matches, averaging 23 with a strike rate of 137.

 

 

Looking to bolster their top order, KKR turned to Gurbaz, who previously debuted for the franchise in 2023. Reacquired at the IPL 2025 auction for INR 2 crore, the Afghan batter has proven his ability to play impactful innings, and KKR will be counting on him to inject momentum into their batting unit.

 

 

Gurbaz fails to take the chance

 

KKR opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz failed to take his chance against GT as he replaced Quinton de Kock at home tonight. The Afghan batter got sent back at just 1 run tonight with Mohd Siraj taking his wicket via LBW.

 

KKR vs GT – Playing 11s and Impact Players

 

Kolkata Knight Riders Playing 11:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy

 

Gujarat Titans Playing 11:

Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, R. Sai Kishore, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj