Nitish Rana, who stands 5 foot 8 inches tall, was born in Delhi on December 27, 1993. Following the 2017 IPL, the left-handed batsman has emerged as one of India’s brightest prospects.
Career
Domestic Career
Nitish Rana made his first-class debut in the Ranji Trophy in 2016, scoring 557 runs at an average of 50.63 and rapidly establishing himself as one of the Delhi team’s top run scorers. At the 2016 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored 299 runs at an average of 42.71 and a strike rate of 175.88. In 2016, Rana finished as the second highest run scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
He led Delhi to a score of 236 for 9 in 20 overs against Andhra in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match, when they were down by 40 runs with their top four batsmen back in the dugout. After Delhi fell behind by three runs without even getting to ten, Rana once again demonstrated his resolve. He hit 53 off just 29 balls to help his team chase down Baroda’s 153-run tally.
He shocked everyone with his unbeaten innings of 60 runs off just 44 balls against Jharkhand in a situation where Delhi had lost their first three wickets for just 14 runs. After Rana’s crucial contribution, Delhi went on to win the match by 5 wickets.
Nitish Rana scored 613 runs in eight games in the 2017-18 Ranji season, an average of 55.72, since his debut IPL season. He was called to India A’s squad for the 2018–19 Deodhar Trophy in October 2018.
IPL Career
In 2015, Rana joined the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Rana had to wait for his chance in a squad with an abundance of talent, which came in spurts in 2016 and catapulted him to fame in 2017 – when he scored 333 runs in 13 matches. Although he lost his form in the latter stages of the tournament, Rana’s early burst was instrumental in Mumbai Indians winning their second IPL title.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) swooped in ahead of the 2018 auctions and snatched up the rockstar from Delhi after he was released from MI duties. He has been an integral part of the franchise setup since then. He played 15 matches and scored 304 runs in the 2018 edition.
In the 2019 edition of the IPL, he scored 344 runs in 14 matches, with a strike rate of 146.38. With his ability to balance the innings and intensify when needed, Rana adds an X factor to the side.
Rana has always had starts in the game, but his conversion rate has been poor. If he can improve his conversion rate and come out better in the 2020 season, he might very well be a contender for the Indian national team.
Background
Ricky Ponting, a former Australian cricketer and current Mumbai Indians mentor, credited Rana’s aggressive batting abilities to him during his time away from the franchise. His lacklustre success in the domestic setup had nearly forced him to retire from the game before the IPL came along, and the rest, as they claim, is history.