Nitish Rana's 81 helped RR defeat CSK in Guwahati by 6 runs.
On Sunday, Nitish Rana of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) delivered a game-changing knock against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. His 36-ball 81 drove RR to a challenging total, which they successfully defended to claim their first victory of the IPL 2025 season.
Following the match, Rana said that he had been ill and missed practice. However, a phone call from the Rajasthan Royals' head coach, Rahul Dravid, provided him with the drive he required, especially when he learned that he would be batting at number three.
"Yesterday, Rahul sir called me, and I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't go for practice. He called me to tell me that I will be batting at number 3. And I am always ready for these challenges. I enjoy the feeling when someone banks on me and shows confidence, and I like taking responsibility," Rana revealed in a video posted by Rajasthan Royals.
Despite his struggles in the previous 2 games, Rana showed great determination and turned things around. He underlined that high-pressure conditions are a part of the IPL, and he was ready to help RR succeed.
"High pressure is there in all 14 games since this is the number one league in the world. And as a batsman, as a player, that pressure is always there whether you are coming after a win or a loss. Those two points were very important. We should've had those points from the very start, but that's okay. There were a lot of positives from the last two games, and we learnt a lot from those games," he stated.
Here is the video:
Rana also recounted how he visualized his game plan following Dravid's call, which helped him execute his match-winning effort.
"So, when he [Dravid] said that, I spoke to myself about the kind of shots I can play on this wicket that would help my team. When it's your time to make runs, you'll make runs. I was trying in the first two games, but the truth is that when you come with your game plan, it gives you the edge," he added.
Nitish Rana will be in action on April 5, when RR takes on PBKS in Mullanpur.