Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday named left-handed batsman Nitish Rana as the teams new skipper for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League 2023. Nitish Rana will replace Shreyas Iyer, who is likely to undergo back surgery and is in danger of missing the entire season of IPL. KKRs statement was an indicator that Iyers chances of an early return to play look improbable at the moment.According to an official statement by Kolkata Knight Riders, in place of Shreyas Iyer, who is undergoing treatment for a back ailment, Nitish Rana would lead the team as captain. We are lucky that Nitish will do a terrific job as captain because he has captaincy experience from leading his state team in white-ball cricket as well as IPL experience from playing for KKR since 2018. Although we are hopeful that Shreyas will recover and play in the IPL 2023 edition at some point. The team leaders with extensive experience will provide Nitish any help he may need on the pitch, they added, adding that they are convinced that under-head coach Chandrakant Pandit and his support staff would receive all the support required off the pitch. We wish Shreyas a healthy and swift recovery as well as the best of luck for him in his new role.Talking about his selection as the captain of the team, Nitish said, “It is my honour to lead the team as KKR has been my home since 2018. This captaincy reinforces my commitment to provide my best effort.” He further added, “This is a fantastic chance for me to show off my leadership abilities, and Ill be using all of my knowledge to get the greatest performance from my team as well as myself. Im hoping for Shreyas quick recovery as well, and Im looking forward to the new challenge that lies ahead of me.”However, the results have been far from encouraging for the southpaw under the captaincy of Rana in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. It is been speculated that Rana will be asked to follow the strategy prepared by Coach Pandit, with Venky Mysore who owns the team, and former Mumbai Stalwart Abhishek Nayar.Notably, Nitish Rana was dropped from Delhis Ranji Trophy team this season due to his poor performance. Although, he has captained Delhi in 12 T20s in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where the team had eight wins and four defeats.Before the 2018 season, KKR purchased the middle-order batter, age 29, and has had him on staff ever since. At KKR, Rana has participated in 74 games while scoring 1744 runs at a strike rate of 135.61. On April 1, KKR will face Punjab Kings in Mohali to begin their season.Shreyas Iyer may take time to recoverThe regular captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders team, Shreyas Iyer, has a back condition, and it is anticipated that he will need surgery. Shreyas Iyer, however, has chosen to postpone surgery for the time being. According to a statement made by the Kolkata Knight Riders, Shreyas Iyer would likely be able to participate in several IPL games once he has recovered. Being without Shreyas Iyer is a major setback for Kolkata Knight Riders.Punjab Kings will clash in the first matchOn Saturday, April 1, the Kolkata Knight Riders will play the Punjab Kings in their opening game of the IPL 2023. The Kolkata Knight Riders squad had a very poor performance the previous year, and under Shreyas Iyers direction, the team finished the competition in eighth place in the points table. Of the 14 games played in the competition, the Kolkata Knight Riders team was able to win 6, while the team lost 8 games.
