Nitish Rana to captain Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2023 while Shreyas Iyer recovers from back injury

Kolkata Knight Riders appoint Nitish Rana as captain for IPL 2023 

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have named Nitish Rana as the captain for their upcoming matches in IPL 2023 while Shreyas Iyer recovers from a back injury. Rana, who has previously led his state team Delhi, is expected to receive support from the squad’s experienced leaders and Head Coach Chandrakant Pandit. KKR expressed hope that Iyer will recover in time to participate in the 2023 IPL season. The decision to appoint Rana as captain was likely based on the potential risks of appointing an overseas captain who may not contribute as a batter or bowler.

Nitish Rana expresses confidence in his ability to lead Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2023

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have announced that Nitish Rana will replace Shreyas Iyer as captain for the upcoming matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) while Iyer recovers from a back injury. KKR expressed their hope that Iyer will recover in time to participate in the 2023 IPL season.

Rana, who has previously captained his state team Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, has been a key player for KKR over the past five years, scoring 1744 runs at a strike rate of 135.61 for the team. He has been a regular fixture in the KKR top order and has been one of their most consistent performers in the tournament.

While KKR is hopeful that Shreyas will recover and participate at some stage in the IPL 2023 edition, they feel fortunate that they found Nitish, with captaincy experience having led his state side in the limited-overs formats and the IPL experience he has had with the Knight Riders since 2018, to lead the side in the absence of Iyer.

KKR expressed confidence that Nitish Rana will receive the necessary off-field support under Head Coach Chandrakant Pandit and the support staff, while the squad’s experienced leaders will provide any assistance he requires on the field. The franchise wished him well in his new role as captain and also wished Shreyas Iyer a complete and swift recovery from his injury.

Fans surprised by KKR’s decision to appoint Rana

While some fans thought an overseas player like Narine might be chosen as captain, KKR management ultimately went with Rana. This decision was likely based on the potential risks of appointing an overseas captain who may not contribute as a batter or bowler.

KKR has a number of experienced foreign players in their squad, including Narine, Russell, and New Zealand’s test skipper Tim Southee, who can provide support to Rana on the field. This will be crucial in the absence of Iyer, who has been a key player and captain for the team.

After being appointed as the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2023, Nitish Rana expressed confidence in his ability to lead the team. Despite this being his first time leading an IPL team, Rana said that he is not daunted by the prospect.

According to him, leadership is not a new role as he has been a part of the leadership group for the last 2-3 years. He added that he is not going to take extra pressure just because of the tag of captaincy and that it is not good for his game.

According to Rana, the conditions in domestic cricket are more challenging than those in the IPL. He emphasized that he cannot rely on experienced players like Andre Russell, who has played cricket all around the world in domestic cricket, unlike in the IPL.

However, the new KKR captain is optimistic that he will receive guidance and support from the senior players and coach Chandrakant as they aim to perform well in IPL 2023. Rana will be looking to lead by example and help his team win matches as they strive to win their third IPL title.