Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
In the absence of Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana donned the captaincy hat of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League. Under his leadership, the team played some good cricket but failed to qualify for the playoffs of the competition. Despite so, there were multiple positives that the team would like to carry to the upcoming edition. When it comes to Rana, the Delhi-born cricketer mentioned that he has grown a lot in the time frame and captaincy has taught him a lot of things, which he previously didn’t think much about.
The 29-year-old also shared Rohit Sharma’s valuable advice to him during the KKR versus MI clash last season. Rana added that the current Indian skipper told him not to take any added pressure and reminded that it’s all about mindset and managing some aspects of the game.
“Last year, I had a chat with Rohit Bhaiya and we were discussing about the captaincy only. I was asking him how to go about the things. He told me that it’s all about mindset. “As a captain, your role is to manage things. For instance, what kind of a bowling change is required or probably which bowler will bowl in what situation.” He further added that there is no need to take any added pressure.
“You will make mistakes on a number of occasions but there’s a lot to learn,” he told me. I just kept this in mind and I’m the kind of person who isn’t really afraid of making mistakes. I just feel you learn more from your mistakes and gain a lot of experience from them,” Rana said while talking to CricketNext.
I’m a proper all-rounder and not just a part-time spinner: Rana
Ahead of the new domestic season, Rana clarified that he is a proper all-rounder and not just a part-time spinner. The cricketer mentioned that he is working hard in the nets and is ready to contribute more in the coming times.
“I haven’t bowled in IPL but I have been bowling since my childhood. I’m a proper all-rounder and not just a part-time spinner. I have bowled during my domestic and club matches. The one good thing about an all-rounder is that if he is not able to contribute with the bat, he can do it with the ball. I just feel lucky that I have both the skills,” Rana added.
