‘I haven’t received any calls yet’ – Nitish Rana shares thoughts about future at Kolkata Knight Riders

‘I haven’t received any calls yet’ – Nitish Rana shares thoughts about future at Kolkata Knight Riders (Photo Source: Twitter)

Nitish Rana claimed that he had not received any calls from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) management after the IPL (Indian Premier League) Governing Council announced the retention rules last month. The mega auction will take place ahead of next season’s IPL and teams will have a chance to retain the services of six players each.

They can either directly retain or buy back from the highest bidder with the Right To Match card. Rana was roped in by KKR for the first time during the IPL 2018 auction. Before IPL 2022, he went back into the auction and was once again snapped up by the Kolkata-based franchise.

While the southpaw hasn’t received a confirmation call from KKR as yet, he clearly stated that he wants to continue plying his trade for the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned franchise. Notably, Knight Riders won the IPL title earlier this year after a decade-long wait. Many players performed well for the three-time champions and it would be difficult for them to choose the six players to hold onto.

“I have been serving KKR for the past seven years. It’s not in my hands if I will be retained, it’s up to KKR management to decide,” Rana told TOI in an interview.

“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,” he added further.

Also Read: Mohammad Kaif wants KKR to pick Shreyas Iyer as first retention

How has Nitish Rana fared for KKR over the years?

After making his IPL debut in 2016 for Mumbai Indians, Nitish Rana joined KKR in 2018 and scored 304 runs from 15 matches. In the next five seasons, he scored 344, 352, 383, 361, and 413 runs, respectively. However, this season, he only played a couple of games after suffering a finger injury in KKR’s first match of the season.

Also Read: KKR should retain Shreyas Iyer, don’t think Shah Rukh Khan will allow him to go: Aakash Chopra

Overall, the Delhi-born has featured in 90 matches for the Knights, scoring 2,199 runs at an average of 28.19 and a strike rate of 136.32. Rana has also registered 14 half-centuries for KKR. He also led the team in the 2023 season as Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to a back injury. It will be interesting to see whether the Knights retain Rana’s services for the upcoming season.

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