Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Shardul Thakur didn’t bowl a single over during his team’s IPL 2023 clash against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Saturday (April 29).

The decision to not give the ball to Thakur raised a few eyebrows, and KKR opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz feels fitness might not be the issue behind this move.

"If you are not fit enough, then you will not play. It might be that the team doesn't need him to bowl. The captain knows it better," Gurbaz said in the post-match press conference, when asked if fitness was a concern for Shardul.

In the same match, Shardul Thakur was promoted to bat at No. 3 and the move backfired as he bagged a four-ball duck.

"The coach and management know better than me. I can't say anything on this," said Gurbaz.

"This might be a special plan. They might have discussed before the game. He might have liked to bat in the top-order."

Shardul has featured in six of KKR's nine matches this season, in which he has bowled just 11.5 overs.

"He might not have been fit enough to bowl. I can't say anything on this. Coaches and captain know better than me," Gurbaz insisted.

Coming to the match, KKR suffered a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of GT at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

Invited to bat first, the hosts posted 179/7 in their allotted 20 overs on the back of Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 39-ball 81. Mohammad Shami (3-33), Noor Ahmad (2-21) and Joshua Little (2-25) starred with the ball for the Titans.

In reply, the defending champions rode on Shubman Gill’s 35-ball 49 and unbeaten knocks from Vijay Shankar (51* off 24) and David Miller (32* off 18) to overhaul the target with 13 deliveries to spare.

(With PTI Inputs)