Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Cricketer Nitish Rana has stated that he got off on the wrong foot with teammate Rinku Singh upon their initial interaction. The left-handed duo have shared the dressing room since the 2018 season and are today on good terms.
Rinku Singh was not in the plan of things during his first few seasons with the 2-time winners. The Uttar Pradesh-born cricketer was largely used as a backup performer and managed to make a belief through his fielding in the few opportunities he got. He came into the highlight in the 2022 edition, where he performed a string of matches.
Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh are all smiles for the #IPLSelfie after @KKRiders win against #RR.#TATAIPL #KKRvRR pic.twitter.com/olJdUx0PAY
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 2, 2022
Nitish Rana, on the other front, was bought by the franchise for a sum of ₹3.4 crores with a high probability. The Delhi-born cricketer has been used in various batting positions over the years and even managed to make his debut for India in the time frame.
Kolkata and 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘳 𝘣𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢 ➡️ The inseparable duo 💜@NitishRana_27 @rinkusingh235 #AmiKKR pic.twitter.com/K32qxxm3tx
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) August 20, 2022
Describing how his friendship with Rinku Singh has developed over the years, Rana added in an audio chatroom session of ‘CricChat Powered by Parimatch’ on the Sharechat app:
“Kolkata Knight Riders has a huge role to play in my cricketing life as well as personal life. My first interaction with Rinku didn’t go well, but now he means a lot to me. When we were supposed to play the last match for KKR in the last season, Rinku and I sat for a discussion the previous night and decided to give everything in that match (against Lucknow Super Giants).”
The pair put up an energetic performance in their final TATA IPL 2022 league encounter against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the DY Patil Stadium. Rana secured 44 off 21 deliveries, with the side once reeling at 9-2 in the 3rd over while chasing a mammoth 209-run target.
Rinku Singh by yourself kept KKR’s playoff hopes alive with a belligerent 40-run knock, off just fifteen deliveries. He was incapable to finish things off following a stunning catch by Evin Lewis, leaving the side short by 2 runs to exit the tournament.
“I am what I am, and it is all because of him” – Nitish Rana’s statement on his father’s influence
Nitish Rana rose to eminence after a victorious debut Ranji Trophy campaign in 2015-16, where he secured 557 runs. He showed to be a vital asset for his IPL franchises Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after scoring 6 successive seasons with over a 300-run tally.
Crediting his father for the winner he has attained so far, Rana said:
“My dad has always backed me up. I am what I am, and it is all because of him. When people questioned my dad on his decision to help me become a cricketer and taunted him saying I won’t be able to earn off this field, he used to tell them that I won’t let my son starve.”
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