KKR skipper Nitish Rana recently revealed his conversation with team owner Shah Rukh Khan, expressing delight at the backing he received from the Bollywood superstar. Rana claimed that Shah Rukh Khan encouraged him not to be concerned about the outcomes and to back himself as the Knight Riders’ captain, saying “Do whatever you feel is right, I will back you.”
Rana, who was named skipper of the franchise just before the start of the IPL 2023 season, spoke about his confidence in leading the team, with Khan giving him the belief to express himself as the leader. The left-handed batter led the team to sixth place in the points table with five wins out of the 11 matches they played in the IPL 2023.
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The KKR captain stated that he does not want to imitate other players’ styles and instead wants to be himself as a batter and captain, saying “I’m trying to be myself being the captain and be myself while batting.” Rana has been impressive with the bat in the ongoing season, scoring 326 runs in 11 innings with an average of 29.64 and a strike rate of 146.85, including two fifties.
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KKR started the season with two wins out of the first three matches but suffered four consecutive losses in the next four matches. However, the Kolkata-based franchise made a brilliant comeback to win three of their last four matches, with Rana leading the way as captain.
Rana’s conversation with Shah Rukh Khan shows the support and trust that the team owner has in his players, giving them the freedom to make their own decisions on the field. With the backing of the owner and his own confidence, Rana is looking to lead KKR to more victories in the upcoming matches, while staying true to himself as a player and captain.