IPL 2023: Leadership is not new to me, not going to take extra pressure – Nitish Rana

Kolkata Knight Riders stand-in skipper Nitish Rana has stated that leadership is not alien to him and he is not going to take extra pressure on his shoulders because of the added responsibility. Rana revealed that he has been part of the leadership group at the Kolkata Knight Riders in the last few seasons.

The left-hander also has the experience of leading Delhi in the domestic circuit of Indian cricket. Meanwhile, Rana has been associated with KKR since 2018 and he has been a consistent performer in the middle order.

Rana has scored more than 300 runs in the last five seasons of the IPL and he would look to lead from the front. Rana has played two T20Is and one One-Day International for the Men in Blue at the top level.

Captaincy is definitely going to test Nitish Rana but he is excited about the new challenges that lay ahead of him in the upcoming season.

“It (leadership) is not new for me, for the last 2-3 years I have been part of the leadership group. I have got the captaincy tag this time. For the last 2-3 years, I have been part of the leadership role and I am not going to take extra pressure just because of the tag. It’s not good for my game also. I don’t think there is anything new. I love taking responsibility,” Rana said.

“After 10 days also, there will be pressure. Captaincy is a tag. Whenever you do something for the first time in life, there will be a bit of pressure. As a batter, I have played more than 100 games. A player will be scared of getting out in the first few deliveries,” he added.

Rana added that he has the backing of experienced players and team management. The southpaw is optimistic about the team putting up a good show in the upcoming season.

“At the end of the day, cricket is just a game. Situations may differ, the conditions might be very different but whether it’s domestic cricket or IPL… man management becomes more important in the IPL because players from different countries have to form a unit,” Rana said, explaining the difference between domestic cricket and the IPL.

“I think the pitches and the conditions in domestic cricket are a little more difficult than the ones that you get in the IPL. You also get players depending on those conditions and players with experience. For instance, Andre Russell has played over 400 matches. When you have so much experience in the camp, I don’t have to be scared of anything. The senior players, Chandu sir, and all the support staff will be a helping hand. With all this help, I am sure we will do something big,” he added.

Kolkata Knight Riders will begin their IPL 2023 campaign against Punjab Kings at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on 1st April.