The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have announced Nitish Rana as the stand-in captain for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. The flamboyant left-handed batter will fill in for Shreyas Iyer, who will miss the initial of the season due to a back injury. Rana has been a part of the Knight Riders since 2018 and has scored more than 300 runs in each of the five seasons. He has also led Delhi teams in the Indian domestic circuit, showcasing his captaincy experience.
The 29-year-old Rana has represented India in two T20Is and an ODI, all of which came during the Sri Lanka tour in July 2021. The management had to look for a new captain after Iyer suffered a relapse of a back injury during the fourth Border-Gavaskar Test against Australia in Ahmedabad. The franchise had several other captaincy options in long-serving Knight Riders Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, and current New Zealand Test captain Tim Southee.
The Kolkata Knight remain hopeful that Iyer will recover and participate in some matches during the IPL 2023 edition. The franchise secured Iyer’s services for INR 12.25 crore last year. However, in case Iyer is unable to play, KKR are confident that Rana, with his IPL experience and captaincy skills, will do an excellent job leading the team.
The franchise has faith in head coach Chandrakant Pandit and the support staff, who will provide Rana with all the support he needs off the field. The team has several experienced leaders on the field who will provide guidance to Rana. The Knight Riders wished Rana the best in his new role and hoped for Iyer’s full and speedy recovery.
“While we are hopeful that Shreyas will recover and participate at some stage in the IPL 2023 edition, we feel fortunate that Nitish, with the captaincy experience having led his state side in white ball cricket and the IPL experience he has had with KKR since 2018, will do a great job,” a release from the Knight Riders stated.
“We are also confident that under Head Coach Chandrakant Pandit and the support staff, he will get all the support needed off the field, and the highly experienced leaders in the squad will provide all support that Nitish may need on the field. We wish him the best in his new role and Shreyas a full and speedy recovery.”
The Kolkata-based team will start their quest for a third title with an away match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 1. The Knight Riders have won the IPL twice, first in 2012 and then in 2014. With Rana leading the team, they will look to add another title to their trophy cabinet.
