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Left-handed batter Nitish Rana was among the players released by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the IPL 2022 auction. The franchise, which recovered from a forgettable first half in IPL 2021 to reach the final, retained Andre Russell (Rs 12 crore), Varun Chakravarthy (Rs 8 crore), Venkatesh Iyer (Rs 8 crore) and Sunil Narine (Rs 6 crore).
Rana didn't have a bad IPL 2021 season but wasn’t consistent enough. He ended up with 383 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 121.97, including two half-centuries. The 27-year-old was purchased by KKR at the IPL 2018 auction and was an integral part of the franchise until the end of the 2021 season.
He scored 300-plus runs in every season that he represented KKR. Overall, too, Rana has a decent IPL record. In 77 games, he has notched up 1820 runs at a strike rate of 132.45, with 13 half-centuries.
IPL Auction 2022: Will these teams bid for Nitish Rana?
With Rana having been released by KKR, we take a look at three franchises that can bid for the left-hander at the IPL 2022 auction.
#1 Kolkata Knight Riders
Had it not been for the upcoming mega auction, it is unlikely that KKR would have released Rana. As mentioned earlier, although he has not been exceptional for the franchise, he has been an integral part of the team for the last few years. Rana has come up with some impressive batting efforts for KKR over the years.
He notched up three half-centuries each in the IPL 2019 and 2020 seasons. Rana had excellent strike rates as well in both seasons - 146.38 in 2019 and 138.58 in 2020. He has the ability to clear the field as well as rotate the strike, as per the demand of the situation.
During IPL 2021, KKR utilized Rana as a floater as well. He began the edition by opening the innings. However, once Venkatesh Iyer established himself at the top of the order in the second half, Rana was moved to the middle order, where he did a good finishing job. Having worked with him, KKR know better than most franchises how to best utilize Rana’s skills.
#2 Punjab Kings
The Punjab Kings (PBKS) have had a horror time over the last two IPL seasons owing to their fragile middle order. They were heavily dependent on KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal to deliver the goods. But once teams got past the opening combination, it was very easy for them to run through the PBKS middle order.
It was hardly a surprise that PBKS retained only Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh ahead of the IPL 2022 auction. Of course, the franchise were keen on retaining Rahul too but the former captain wanted to move on. Barring Aiden Markram, who came in during the second half of IPL 2021, no other PBKS batter could make much of an impression in the middle order.
The franchise placed a lot of faith in Nicholas Pooran but the West Indian left-hander was a complete disaster. He managed only 85 runs from 12 matches in the entire season, spread across two halves.
Having a reasonable amount of experience and success in the IPL, Rana could fit into the PBKS middle order. Alternately, he can even open the innings with Agarwal, having done so for KKR with good results.
#3 Sunrisers Hyderabad
One of the biggest mistakes the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have consistently made during IPL auctions has been their selection of Indian youngsters. While they have splurged heavily on overseas players like David Warner, Kane Williamson and Rashid Khan, their Indian choices have been too young and inexperienced.
The likes of Abhishek Sharma, Priyam Garg, Virat Singh and Abdul Samad are undoubtedly talented. But they will not learn a lot if they play with each other in the same franchise.
Once Warner failed to find rhythm with the bat, SRH’s middle-order muddle stood completely exposed in IPL 2021. Manish Pandey was among the runs but his strike rate was a big concern. Jonny Bairstow was the franchise’s best batter in the first half but did not turn up for the UAE leg.
Like PBKS, SRH also need a solid, experienced hand in the middle overs to guide them through. Rana can be an option they can explore. He has been there and done it all, something which SRH clearly missed during a catastrophic IPL 2021 campaign.
