Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Nitish Rana opened up on the pep talk he had with team owner Shahrukh Khan ahead of the clash with Punjab Kings (PBKS) on May 8.

Rana has been associated with KKR since 2018. He was bought back by the Kolkata-based franchise during the 2022 mega-auction for INR 8 crores.

The southpaw was handed the captaincy this season in the absence of Shreyas Iyer, who suffered a recurring back injury during the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in March.

Rana's stint as KKR captain started with a couple of memorable wins over RCB and GT in the first three matches. The team then went through a rough patch, losing four games on the trot.

However, they bounced back to win three of their last four matches and retain hopes of making it to the IPL 2023 playoffs.

Speaking to Star Sports after KKR’s latest win over PBKS, Rana revealed that he did have a talk with Shahrukh Khan and the KKR owner advised him to keep the belief.

The KKR captain further said that Shahrukh told him to do whatever he feels is right and he would have his total backing.

"I got the call from him before the match. He told me to keep the belief. You're doing well as a captain. Your captaincy is good. Just back yourself. Don't doubt yourself too much. Do whatever you feel is right, I will back you. That was the confidence I had even in the last game. Last over, I gave it to the spinner," Rana stated.

Nitish Rana added that he is trying to be himself while playing the role of captain and batter.

"I'm trying to be myself being the captain and be myself while batting," he said.

In 11 matches this season, Rana has amassed 326 runs at a strike rate of 146.84 with two half-centuries.

KKR are currently occupying the sixth spot on the points table with five victories from 11 matches. They will next face Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens on May 11.