IPL 2024: Nitish Rana aims for T20 World Cup berth with 600 run season for Kolkata Knight Riders
Xtra Time Web Desk: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Nitish Rana expressed his ambition to earn a spot in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup scheduled to take place later this year in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).
Rana had previously featured in 2 T20Is and an ODI for the Indian team in 2021 against Sri Lanka at the RPS in Colombo. However, he struggled to make an impact, failing to reach double-digit scores in any of those matches, leading to him losing his place in the team.
Despite this setback, Rana remains optimistic about his chances of making a comeback. He believes in his ability to perform well and aims to score over 600 runs for the Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
While expressing his desire to represent the country again, Rana emphasized the importance of focusing on the present moment, which for him is the IPL. He is determined to make the most of the tournament and is targeting the milestone of 600 runs.
Rana's IPL journey began in 2016 with Mumbai Indians (MI) before he moved to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2018. Over the years, he has consistently contributed with the bat, gradually improving his performances. In the previous season (2023), Rana scored 413 runs in 14 matches at an average of 31.77 and a strike rate of 140.96, including three half-centuries.
As KKR gears up to kick off their IPL 2024 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) led by Pat Cummins on March 23 at Eden Gardens, Rana faces a significant challenge to prove his worth once again.