Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has appointed Nitish Rana as their interim captain for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. The decision comes as a result of Shreyas Iyer’s back injury, which is likely to keep him out of action for at least the first half of the tournament. Rana was chosen over Sunil Narine, who was the other candidate for the role.
Rana has captained Delhi in 12 T20s in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, winning eight of them. He is a middle-order batter and has been playing for KKR since 2018. Rana has scored 1744 runs for the team in 74 matches with a strike rate of 135.61. Last season, he was KKR’s second-highest run-scorer with 361 runs at a strike rate of 143.82.
While KKR hopes that Iyer will recover and join the team during the tournament, they are confident that Rana’s experience as a captain and his familiarity with the KKR team will make him an excellent interim captain. In a statement, the team said that they are confident that Rana will receive all the support he needs from the coaching staff and experienced leaders in the squad.
KKR had a disappointing season last year, finishing seventh in the league with six wins and eight losses. With Rana taking over as captain, the team will have a whole new leadership this year, as Chandrakant Pandit takes over as head coach from Brendon McCullum, and Bharat Arun is appointed as the bowling coach.
In conclusion, Nitish Rana has been appointed as KKR’s interim captain for IPL 2023 due to Shreyas Iyer’s back injury. Rana’s experience as a captain and his familiarity with the team make him an excellent choice for the role. KKR hopes that under Rana’s leadership and the guidance of the coaching staff, the team will have a successful season this year.
