For the final home game of the season for KKR, left-hand hitter Nitish Rana was added back into the starting lineup following a 10-game absence due to an injury layoff. In a game impacted by weather, his 33 runs off 23 balls proved crucial as KKR reached a total of 157/7. This total ultimately proved to be too much for the Mumbai team, as the visitor’s innings concluded at 139/8.
On May 11, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) maintained their impressive streak at Eden Gardens, defeating the Mumbai Indians (MI) by an 18-run margin in the ongoing IPL match. The Knight Riders also made history by being the first squad to earn a postseason spot.
Speaking about his return, he disclosed that, having missed a significant chunk of the season, he felt nervous. At the post-match news conference, Rana stated, “Couldn’t sleep last night, felt like I was going to play my first IPL game, coming into a team that has been doing well, and coming back into such a big league match against MI and in what’s the last home game for your side,” as reported by Cricbuzz.
It’s also a shortened match. By 8 am, I went to bed. My heart was racing, I felt like I was about to play for the first time, and I was really nervous. However, these are the things that fuel your hunger and motivate you to work harder,” he said.
was unable to handle my bat for 20–22 days: Nitish Rana
“Couldn’t touch my bat for 20-22 days because of injury, then I started batting with one hand,” he said, recalling his time on the sideline. I did everything that I could. The left-hand batter stated, “I used to sit and visualise whenever I was by myself.
Nevertheless, Nitish Rana overcame his anxiety to make a crucial contribution, supporting the KKR innings with the belligerent Venkatesh Iyer. After an early shaky start, his 37-run combination with Iyer calmed the ship and laid the groundwork for a manageable total in a 16-over game.
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The Delhi native was eager to acknowledge the team management’s confidence in his skills. “Despite my injuries, they kept me on the bench for ten games, demonstrating their incredible faith in me. Maybe they realised that later on in the competition, I may have a good influence. Fortunately, the ball was seaming and the surface was favouring the quick bowlers at that point, so my 33 runs were significant “, concluded Nitish Rana.
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