Amidst the burgeoning excitement surrounding IPL 2024, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have set the stage for a dynamic season with a major announcement. Shreyas Iyer, who unfortunately missed out entire IPL 2023 edition due to injury, is set to resume his leadership role for the upcoming extravaganza. Nitish Rana, who led the team in the previous season, will now take on the role of vice-♏captain. Adding a touch of intrigue to this leadership transition, Nitish shared a fascinating anecdote about how he assumed the captaincy reins for KKR in the last season.
‘Someone needed to step up’: Nitish Rana
Nitish at first acknowledged the challenges in the camp following Iyer’s injury, recognizing the difficulty of replacing a senior player. To address the situation, the latter took the initiative and approached head coach, CEO and even the owner Shahrukh Khan, expressing his willingness to step up and take on the franchise’s leadership.
“Unfortunately, Shreyas got injured. There were some problems for sure in the camp because it’s difficult to replace such a senior player. So, someone needed to step up. I went and spoke to Chandu Sir (head coach Chandrakant Pandit), Venky Sir (CEO Venky Mysore). I also spoke to Shah Rukh Sir (Shah Rukh Khan) that I am willing to take up the role,” Rana said on JioCinema.
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‘This was started by Baz’: Nitish
Reflecting on his role as a senior member, Nitish also highlighted his leadership growth over the past 3-4 years. The Delhi-born cricketer credited former KKR coach Brendon McCullum for instilling a captain’s mindset in him, emphasizing the importance of thinking like a leader.
“I had become a senior member of the side in the last 3-4 years. I had got a leadership role in this period. This was started by Baz. He would always encourage me to think like a captain,” the Delhi-born-cricketer added.
