Nitish Rana hopeful of receiving Team India call-up

Team India is expected to tour Sri Lanka for a white-ball series in July and the squad will consist of several uncapped and inexperienced players. The senior team will be busy in England during that period following the World Test Championship Final and ahead of the Test series against England and as a result, the BCCI will send a second-string squad to Sri Lanka.

Delhi and Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Nitish Rana wants to grab the opportunity with both hands and thinks he’s ready for the international arena. “It is there at the back of my mind that my name should come (in the squad) and I am prepared for that because I feel my name would come,” Nitish told PTI in an interview when asked whether he is hoping for a call-up.

It goes without saying that the squad that will fly to Sri Lanka will miss several superstars like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Burmah which will open up several spots for youngsters and uncapped players.

Rana is confident that his performances in domestic cricket and IPL are enough to warrant him inclusion in the squad and hopes to get ‘rewarded’ with an India call-up. “If you pick and see my record for the last three years in white-ball, be it domestic or the IPL, I have performed well and I feel that I will get the reward for it today or tomorrow.

“And I feel I am ready for international cricket and I am waiting for that like they say one call away…I am waiting for that call…,” added the 27-year-old.

In 38 first-class matches, Rana has scored 2266 runs at an average of over 40. He had also amassed 201 runs from seven games in IPL 2021 before the tournament got suspended indefinitely. Reflecting on the season, Rana noted, “To be very honest, from the last 3-4 years, it has been a pattern for me that I start the season well, in mid-season, I have 2-3 flop innings and then at the end of the season I play 1-2 innings well.

“So always, the total (runs) scored are in between 330-400,” he said.

Nitish Rana has also had a difficult time processing how to react to IPL 2021 getting suspended.

“We have got a break this season, so I am unable to understand whether I should be happy or sad. I should be unhappy because I have been reflecting on why my season goes this way as I am trying to be consistent for myself and my franchise.

“So having worked a lot, this was the correct time to see whether it worked for me or not…but right now I am looking at it in such a way that it is better that I have got a break and as a batter I can start afresh,” he concluded.