In the majority of the white-ball matches that Team India played after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, which ended on May 29, they rested several regular players. Many young people were given the chance as a result, including Rahul Tripathi, who distinguished himself while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2022. (SRH). The squads, which included players like Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, and Arshdeep Singh among others, did not list Nitish Rana’s name, though.
During the 2021 India white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, 28-year-old Nitish Rana made his international debut. The southpaw had average results in two T20Is and one ODI. He has been excluded from the national team ever since. Moreover, most recently, he was excluded from the forthcoming ODI series against Zimbabwe. Amid the recent snub, Rana, who scored 361 runs in 14 innings for KKR in the last IPL, expressed his keenness to represent India once again.
Amid the recent snub, Nitish Rana, who scored 361 runs in 14 innings for KKR in the last IPL, expressed his keenness to represent India once again.
“As a cricketer I would have of course liked another opportunity, but I do not want to give any excuses, since I did not play very well. I want to score 500 plus runs from the next IPL season so that the selectors cannot ignore me. The things that are in my control are to give good performances and score runs, and I am trying to improve there. This season, I hope to score more runs. But everything is not in my hands, I want to give my best, that’s all. I will give my 100 percent wherever I play and Will perform well,”
RANA TOLD INDIA TODAY IN AN EXCLUSIVE CHAT.
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The KKR veteran ready to give it all
The left-hander further added that he would have to improve his performance if the selectors are ignoring him right now.
“If people are not selecting me after making 400 runs, I have to make 600 runs, and I understand that now. The future is in my hands and I am working on that.”
Instead of putting himself in a pressure situation by setting targets, Rana wants to focus on doing well in the upcoming domestic season followed by the IPL 2024.
“I do not have any targets as such. I want to score more runs in the domestic season, and then in the IPL season and the things that I have been wanting for a few years now, they will come.”
Kolkata Knight Riders endured a dismal IPL 2022 campaign. Under Shreyas Iyer, they lost 8 out of their 14 games and finished the league stage in the seventh position.
“Things did not click for us in the last IPL. It is a very quick game and we did not have the results in our favour. Hopefully we will play better and lift the cup at the Eden Gardens. You cannot plan the changes from now. We will have to pick more players in the mini auction and if our domestic players perform well in the off season, we will have more confidence in the team,”
NITISH RANA CONCLUDED.
