KKR's Nitish Rana not giving up on India hopes yet, eyes ‘500-plus runs' in IPL 2023 to secure comeback

Nitish Rana might not have had much luck so far as his hopes of sealing a place in the Indian team are concerned, but the left-handed batter isn't giving up on his dreams just yet.

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star batter, a consistent performer in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well as in BCCI's domestic competitions over the years, made his international debut during India's tour of Sri Lanka last year.

Rana was part of a second-string Indian side led by veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan that won the ODI series 2-1 but lost the T20I leg by a similar margin. The left-handed batter made his debut in the blue jersey in the final one-dayer, later played the second and third T20Is, and hasn't been part of the Indian setup since.

"As a cricketer, I would have of course liked another opportunity, but I do not want to give any excuses, since I did not play very well. I want to score 500 plus runs from the next IPL season so that the selectors cannot ignore me.

"The things that are in my control are to give good performances and score runs, and I am trying to improve there," the Delhiite was quoted as saying according to India Today.

Rana had represented Mumbai Indians between 2015 and 2017, winning two IPL titles with the Rohit Sharma-led franchise, before joining the Knight Riders in 2018, having stuck with them ever since. He collected 361 runs at an average of 27.77 with two half-centuries to his credit in the 2022 edition of the IPL, in which the Shreyas Iyer-led Knight Riders finished seventh in the 10-team table.

Reflecting on the bygone season, Rana felt the Knight Riders didn't exactly click as a unit, but that could change once the team starts playing at the Eden Gardens, it's the home venue, from next year.

"Things did not click for us in the last IPL. It is a very quick game and we did not have the results in our favour. Hopefully, we will play better and lift the cup at the Eden Gardens," added Rana.

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