Team India rested their multiple star players in most of the white-ball series that they played following the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, which ended on May 29.
As a result, there was an opportunity for many youngsters including Rahul Tripathi, who performed exceptionally well in the IPL 2022 while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). However, Nitish Rana’s name didn’t feature in any of the squads, which included the likes of Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Arshdeep Singh among others.
Rana, 28, made his India debut during the white-ball tour to Sri Lanka in 2021. The southpaw played two T20Is and one ODI with moderate returns. Since then, he has been sidelined from the national set-up and recently failed to make the cut for the upcoming ODI series against Zimbabwe.
Amid the recent snub, Rana, who scored 361 runs in 14 innings for KKR in the last IPL, expressed his keenness to represent India once again.
“As a cricketer I would have of course liked another opportunity, but I do not want to give any excuses, since I did not play very well. I want to score 500 plus runs from the next IPL season so that the selectors cannot ignore me. The things that are in my control are to give good performances and score runs, and I am trying to improve there. This season, I hope to score more runs. But everything is not in my hands, I want to give my best, that's all. I will give my 100 percent wherever I play and Will perform well,” he told India Today in an exclusive chat.
The left-hander further added that he would have to improve his performance if the selectors are ignoring him right now.
“If people are not selecting me after making 400 runs, I have to make 600 runs, and I understand that now. The future is in my hands and I am working on that.”
Instead of putting himself in a pressure situation by setting targets, Rana wants to focus on doing well in the upcoming domestic season followed by the IPL 2023.
“I do not have any targets as such. I want to score more runs in the domestic season, and then in the IPL season and the things that I have been wanting for a few years now, they will come.”
Kolkata Knight Riders endured a dismal IPL 2022 campaign. Under Shreyas Iyer, they lost 8 out of their 14 games and finished the league stage in the seventh position.
“Things did not click for us in the last IPL. It is a very quick game and we did not have the results in our favour. Hopefully we will play better and lift the cup at the Eden Gardens,” Rana said.
“You cannot plan the changes from now. We will have to pick more players in the mini auction and if our domestic players perform well in the off season, we will have more confidence in the team,” he added.
(With India Today inputs)
