Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Nitish Rana revealed an interesting conversation he had alongside their team owner Shah Rukh Khan ahead of their clash against Punjab Kings. The 29-year-old played a pivotal role in their victory against Punjab Kings picking up the important wicket of Shikhar Dhawan and scoring a vital half-century with the bat.
Nitish Rana was handed the responsibility to lead the side in the absence of their regular skipper Shreyas Iyer, who had a back injury during the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy which ruled him out of this edition of IPL 2023.
Speaking to the broadcasters after their win against Punjab Kings, Nitish Rana disclosed his conversation alongside their team owner Shah Rukh Khan, where he asked him to keep believing in himself and trusting his captaincy ability to do well instead of doubting his skillsets and also backed him to do what feels right.
“I got the call from him before the match. He told me to keep the belief. You’re doing well as a captain. Your captaincy is good. Just back yourself. Don’t doubt yourself too much. Do whatever you feel is right, I will back you. That was the confidence I had even in the last game. Last over, I gave it to the spinner,” Nitish Rana said.
The two-time champions are closely coming back to their usual best winning three games out of their last four games and will look to build on their momentum in the forthcoming games to give themselves the best chance to qualify for the playoffs in this edition of the Indian Premier League.
I’m Trying To Be Myself Being The Captain – Nitish Rana
Nitish Rana has been playing for the Kolkata-based side since 2018 and has done a decent job as a player in 2023 scoring 326 runs and also picking up three wickets in the eleven games so far and will look to inspire his team to make it to the final four of the tournament.
“I’m trying to be myself being the captain and be myself while batting,” Nitish Rana added.
The two-time champions will take on the 2022- finalist Rajasthan Royals in the must-win encounter for both sides in the iconic Eden Gardens on May 11 and will look to continue their winning run on their home soil.