Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) started their IPL 2021 campaign on a winning note as they managed to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 10 runs. KKR and SRH have had a rivalry for a really long time and this win would definitely please all the KKR fans. The stars of this match were Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi. Both of them got to their respective half centuries. While Rana scored 80 of just 56 deliveries, Tripathi scored a 50 and got out. Everyone were impressed with Rana as he’s been inconsistent playing well for the Knights.
Former Cricketer and current commentator Aakash Chopra was mighty impressed with Nitish Rana. He said a few good words for him in a video. “When you play on this pitch, it is necessary to capitalize on the new ball. There Nitish Rana was running ahead of Shubman Gill and was not hesitating to take risks. Whenever he opens, his graph is up and down, with alternating 80s and zeroes. When he got out the team’s score was 160, fifty percent runs had come from his bat,” added Chopra. He loved the fact that Rana played the role of am aggressor. “Nitish Rana batted amazingly well after KKR were asked to bat first. If he keeps playing like this, an Indian team call-up might not be too far for him. There is a possibility,” said Chopra.
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi’s second-wicket partnership was the partnership that had almost taken the game out of SRH’s hands. “Till the time Rana and Rahul were batting it seemed like it was a totally one-sided game and KKR will reach around the 200-run mark. Both batted very well,” said Chopra. Chopra, thus feels that Rana make it to the India team sooner or later. While Nitish Rana has shown his potential as an opener, he is going to find it difficult to gain entry into the Indian team with the likes of KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan and Shikhar Dhawan already fighting for the spot. However, his name could come in for consideration in case any injury or form-related issues are afflicting the aforementioned batsmen.