NEWS
Follow UsKolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Nitish Rana believes that, more than the cricketing aspect, it’s KKR’s mentality that’s proven to be the cornerstone of the team’s success this season.
KKR missed out on playoff qualification in each of the last three campaigns but find themselves top of the table after 12 games in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). On May 11 (Saturday), they became the first team to officially qualify for the playoffs and are all but certain to finish in the top two and play in Qualifier 1.
The Knight Riders have looked a completely different unit this time around, ruthless and more confident than ever, and Rana credited the change in the dressing room atmosphere for the same.
“In order to win any match, you have to play good cricket. It doesn’t matter who is in front of you, if you don’t play good cricket, the result will go against you. The difference [in the KKR camp] this year compared to the previous few seasons is the amount of belief we have in each other,” Rana said at the press conference post the Mumbai Indians clash.
“There’s been a trust that’s been built. Everyone knows that there’s someone in the XI that will get the job done on a particular day.”
For this turnaround, Rana credited the pair of Gautam Gambhir and Chandrakant Pandit. The 30-year-old said that the faith the duo have shown in the players has been integral to the team’s success.
“For this new-found belief, I’ll have to credit both Chandu sir and Gauti sir. In a league like the IPL, it’s impossible to perform in all 14 games no matter how big a player you are. So it’s extremely important to back the players.”
The left-handed batter, who captained KKR in IPL 2023, said that his own case was a great example of how the KKR management’s backing of individuals has benefited the team. Against MI, Rana, who had picked up an injury in the Sunrisers Hyderabad contest in March, played his first game in nearly 50 days.
But he slotted in seamlessly and played a part in the side’s victory by posting a crucial 33 under tricky circumstances.
“I’m sitting right in front of you as a great example for my statement. Tonight I played after 10 games and I was given full backing in such a crucial game. That’s the level of backing the players are being given in this dressing room.
"The credit goes to the team management [for my successful comeback]. They showed immense belief in me by keeping me on the bench for 10 matches despite my injury. They perhaps knew I could make a positive impact later in the tournament. Luckily, my 33 runs were important on that stage because the ball was seaming and the wicket was helping the fast bowlers."
Speaking of the finger injury that kept him out of action for more than a month, the 30-year-old revealed that he was unable to hold the bat for nearly 25 days. He spoke of the hard work he had to put in to recover on time, and revealed that the MI clash felt like a debut again since he was returning to the side after a long layoff.
“To be honest, I wasn’t able to hold the bat in my hand for a very long time due to injury. But I slowly started revving up my recovery; I did everything I could do in order to recover on time,” Rana said.
"Couldn't sleep last night, felt like I was going to play my first IPL game.
"I was coming into a team that has been doing well, and coming back into such a big league match against MI and in what's the last home game for your side. Plus it's a reduced match. I slept around 8am in the morning. I was so anxious, my heartbeat was fast, and I felt like I was going to play for the first time. But these are the things that keep you hungry and drive you to do better."
The Knight Riders have two games remaining in the group stages. Victory in one of the clashes will help them seal a top two spot.
