KKR vs RR: Nitish Rana on questions surrounding Kolkata Knight Riders’ batting unit – We have found the right combination
India Today
On Monday, May 2, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) snapped their five-match losing streak in IPL 2022 after defeating the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven wickets.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) batter Nitish Rana said that his team has found the best combination for the remaining games in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL). Eyebrows were raised after the Men in Gold and Purple dropped Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Chakravarthy, two of their four retained players, for the match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Monday, May 2.
But the Knights went on to secure a crucial seven-wicket win at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Left-handed batter Rinku Singh became the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 23-ball knock of 42 when the Knights needed to score at around nine runs per over. Rana said that Singh’s performance has given solidity to the KKR batting lineup despite the absence of some big names.
“We feel we have found the right combination. The comfortable way in which we won without any big players means that our playing XI is set. He (Rinku) has been on and off since he made his debut in 2018 and the knock he played has lent stability to our lineup.
“It’s understandable for people to raise questions about the playing XI, especially after defeats. Even we face doubts, but if we keep winning games, then any XI is the best,” Rana was quoted as saying in the post-match press conference.
Rana also played a crucial hand in KKR snapping a five-match losing streak. The southpaw scored 48 off 37 and was involved in an unbeaten 66-run stand with Singh. The 28-year-old batter said that while he tries to show flexibility in his batting, he prefers to play the role of an anchor.
“My approach depends from game to game. I take into account the target, the bowling attack of opponents, the position I’m batting in and try to mould my game as per that. It’s been quite a while since I started playing the IPL and I’m trying to play the role of an anchor,” he added.
Placed seventh in the points table, KKR are next set to face the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Saturday, May 7 at the MCA Stadium in Pune.
