India's star batter Nitish Rana has stated that Rajasthan Royals' (RR) head coach Rahul Dravid has assured him of a potential return to Team India. Rana revealed that Dravid has expressed his commitment to assisting him in regaining a place in the Indian team and will take all necessary steps to make it happen. Nitish Rana's association with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) since 2018 finally ended after Rajasthan Royals signed him for a big sum of Rs 4.20 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Many thought that KKR will exercise their Right to Match (RTM) card to bring back their ex-skipper in the IPL 2025 mega auction as he had been a strong contender to lead the team after Shreyas Iyer's departure. But surprisingly it didn't happen.
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Rana's snub from his previous franchise left his wife Saachi Marwah visibly upset as she took to social media to express her disappointment, posting a cryptic message that read, "Loyalty is very expensive, not everyone can afford it."
Has Rahul Dravid assured Nitish Rana India's comeback?
However, Rana is now focusing on his new franchise RR and is looking to prove a point in the IPL 2025. Meanwhile, Rana revealed his interactions with head coach Rahul Dravid in a video posted on the Rajasthan Royals' official social media handle.
“Sometimes, we create stories in our minds, thinking that if I ask this question, will I be judged? But, in all my time working with him, the common fear many players have—that if they speak to someone, they'll be judged—was never a concern for me from the very first day,” Nitish said.
"I just told him that I played under him in my first series and I want to make a comeback to the Indian team. I will need your help because your guidance matters a lot to me. He accepted and said, ‘We will do the hard work. 'Franchise or tere career ke liye jo possible cheez hogi wo karenge'. ("We will do everything possible for the franchise and your career.")
The 30-year-old batter has had a successful career in the IPL representing both the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the KKR.
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Throughout his IPL career, Rana has played 107 matches, accumulating 2636 runs riding on 18 fifties at an impressive average of 28.65 and a strike rate of 135.04.
On the international stage, Rana has represented Team India in 2 T20Is, scoring 15 runs, and one ODI, where he contributed 7 runs.
Talking about RR's squad for IPL 2025, they bought a total of 14 players including Rana in the mega auction to bolster their team. The key highlight was the return of English pacer Jofra Archer. Not just this, they turned heads by signing 13-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi for a Rs. 1.10 crore.
RR's full squad for IPL 2025:
Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Sandeep Sharma, Jofra Archer (Rs. 12.50 crore), Maheesh Theekshana (Rs. 4.4 crore), Wanindu Hasaranga (Rs. 5.25 crore), Akash Madhwal (Rs. 1.20 crore), Kumar Kartikeya (Rs. 30 lakh), Nitish Rana (Rs. 4.20 crore), Tushar Deshpande (Rs. 6.50 crore), Shubham Dubey (Rs. 80 lakh), Yudhvir Singh (Rs. 35 lakh), Fazalhaq Farooqi (Rs. 2 crore), Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Rs. 1.10 crore), Kwena Maphaka (Rs. 1.50 crore), Kunal Rathore (Rs. 30 lakh), Ashok Sharma (Rs. 30 lakh).
