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Nitish Rana has made his priorities clear ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. He wants to continue playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Delhi-born left-hander said he has left the possibility of retention to the team management but hasn't received any calls confirming his future either.
Rana has become an integral part of KKR since joining in 2018. He has 2200 runs for the franchise and made his India debut after a good IPL season in 2021. Last year, he stood in for the injured Shreyas Iyer as captain and led admirably, even though the team finished seventh in the table.
"I have been serving KKR for the past seven years," Rana told the Times of India. "It's not in my hands if I will be retained; it's up to KKR management to decide. I haven't received any calls yet. I have scored runs for KKR every year, and if they consider me an asset, they will retain me. I want to play for KKR."
Last year, Rana himself got injured and missed most of the season, playing just two matches. In his absence, players like Venkatesh Iyer and youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi stood tall and performed impressively in the middle order.
Nitish Rana on Ranji Trophy with UP: "I can take on the captaincy"
Last year, Rana switched allegiances to Uttar Pradesh. He said red-ball cricket is his favorite and has shifted his focus back to it after two years of white-ball cricket during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, he was down with dengue fever and hospitalized for a few days in the leadup to the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy. Now that he has joined the camp, he's looking forward to helping UP perform better and taking on additional responsibility if needed.
"I haven't discussed this (on availabilities) with the coach or selectors yet. However, players like Rinku (Singh), Yash Dayal, and Dhruv Jurel won't be available for initial matches, so we'll see some new faces replacing those playing for the country. I am ready to take control of the team again. If the association feels I'm capable, I can take on the captaincy," he said in the same interaction.
UP will kick off their Ranji Trophy campaign against Bengal at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Friday, October 11.
