Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday (March 27) named Nitish Rana as their captain for the IPL 2023 season in the absence of regular skipper Shreyas Iyer, who is set to miss some part of the tournament due to his recurring back injury.
“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 having led his state side in white ball cricket and the IPL experience he has had with KKR since 2018, will do a great job,” KKR said in a statement.
After being handed over the captaincy, Nitish said it is a great opportunity for him to showcase his leadership acumen. The 29-year-old has previously led his domestic cricket team Delhi in 12 T20 matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, returning with eight wins and four losses.
“KKR has been my home since 2018 and It’s an honour to lead them. This captaincy instils my belief of performing at the highest level," Nitish was quoted as saying by IANS.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to showcase my leadership skills and I will be using all my experience to not just bring the best out of me but also from my team. I also wish for a speedy recovery for Shreyas and I am looking forward to the new challenge ahead of me," he added.
While the 2023 edition of IPL is slated to get underway on March 31, Knight Riders are slated to open their campaign on April 1 against Punjab Kings in Mohali. KKR will play their first home match at the Eden Gardens on April 6 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
