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India's star batter Nitish Rana has expressed his desire to continue playing for the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite the likelihood of not being retained ahead of the upcoming mega auction, Rana remains hopeful about his future with the franchise.
Nitish Rana seeks KKR retention despite uncertain future
Rana has been an integral part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for the past six years, contributing significantly to their success. However, with the upcoming auction allowing teams to retain only six players, his chances of staying with the team appear slim.
In the previous IPL season, Rana stepped in as captain for the injured Shreyas Iyer but was unable to lead the team to a successful campaign. Kolkata finished the tournament in seventh place, winning just six of their 14 matches.
"I have been serving KKR for the past seven years. It's not in my hands if I will be retained; it's up to KKR management to decide. I haven't received any calls yet. I have scored runs for KKR every year and if they consider me an asset, they will retain me," Rana said while speaking to The Times of India.
KKR Faces Tough Decisions Ahead of Retention
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are faced with the difficult task of deciding which players to retain ahead of the upcoming IPL season. The franchise, which boasts a tournament-winning squad, is expected to have a tough time letting go of their talented players.
One notable player who could be affected by the retention process is Nitish Rana. The 30-year-old batter suffered an injury during the IPL 2024 season, limiting his playing time to just two matches. Meanwhile, other players like Ramandeep Singh and Angkrish Raghuvanshi have made strong cases for themselves but may also face uncertain futures.
Despite the challenges, KKR is expected to retain several key players, including IPL 2024 MVP Sunil Narine, Phil Salt, Venkatesh Iyer, captain Shreyas Iyer, Varun Chakravarthy, and Andre Russell. However, the rising pacer Harshit Rana may miss out on retention, which could be a significant loss for the team. Rana could only play two matches in IPL 2024 due to a finger injury. In those two matches he scored 42 runs with a strike rate of 123.53. In a total of 107 IPL matches, the Delhi-based batter has amassed 2636 runs riding on 18 fifties.
With the new retention rules allowing franchises to retain a maximum of six players through a combination of retention and Right to Match, KKR will need to carefully consider their options to ensure they have a competitive squad for the upcoming season.
