IPL 2023: Nitish Rana to captain KKR in absence of Shreyas Iyer

Rana, who made his IPL debut in 2016 for Mumbai India, has been with the Kolkata-based franchise since 2018 and scored over 300 runs in each of the five seasons for them. He has also the experience of leading Delhi in the domestic circuit.

Official statement. @NitishRana_27 #AmiKKR #KKR #Nitish #NitishRana pic.twitter.com/SeGP5tBoql

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 27, 2023

KKR are hoping for Iyer to return at some stage of the IPL 2023 but have backed flamboyant Rana to do the job in his absence. The team has also expressed confidence that the support staff will ably back Rana in his first stint as captain of an IPL team.

“While we are hopeful that Shreyas will recover and participate at some stage in the IPL 2023 edition, we feel fortunate that Nitish, with the captaincy experience of having led his state side in white-ball cricket and the IPL experience he has had with KKR since.

“We are also confident that under head coach Chandrakant Pandit and the support staff, he will get all the support needed off the field, and the highly experienced leaders in the squad will provide all support that Nitish may need on the field.

“We wish him the best in his new role and Shreyas a full and speedy recovery,” KKR said in a statement.

Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and New Zealand star Tim Southee were the other three contenders to replace Iyer as the captain.

The 29-year-old has also represented India in two T20Is and an ODI during India’s tour of Sri Lanka in July, 2021. In the 91 IPL matches the southpaw has played, he has scored 2181 runs at an average of 27.96 and a strike rate of 134.22.

Iyer’s back injury resurfaced during the fourth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia in Ahmedabad. He did not bat in the match and was sent for scans. He missed the first Test because of the same injury.