All the things that could go possibly go wrong for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) did at the start of the season. Losing Shreyas Iyer to injury was a cruel blow. So, the furst question asked was who could replace him as captain. Andre Russell and Sunil Narine were possible candidates, but the Eoin Morgan experience meant that KKR opted for an Indian as leader. To everyone’s surprise, they went for Nitish Rana. For a domestic star to captain a franchise team is rare. More so when the squad has senior internationals like Russell, Jason Roy, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur. Would Rana be overawed, and what impact would leadership have on his play were the questions.
Two-thirds of the way into the season, one has to say that Rana has held his own. After a string of poor performances, KKR too seem to be getting back on track, fifth in the standings with a reasonable chance to progress to the play-offs if they finish well. And Rana, as captain, has indeed led from the front.
Also Read: “He was one innings away”: Nitish Rana on Dre Russ Special
On Monday night, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz gone early and Roy out to Harpreet Brar in the eighth over, KKR needed the skipper to stand up. More because Venkatesh Iyer was finding it hard to get going. With a tricky chase on hand, Rana had to find a balance between attack and conserving his wicket. And for KKR, he did it to perfection. With some fantastic shots that got the Eden crowd going, Rana is doing what Gautam Gambhir had done in 2011.
In the past as well, Rana has shown exemplary resilience and character in turning up to play for KKR after losing a close family member. When Rana lost his father-in-law the day before a KKR game a couple of years back, another colleague of his, Mandeep Singh, had lost his father the previous night. To see them on the park was nothing short of extraordinary. What it said to me was what this tournament is all about. More importantly, what sport is capable of doing.
As Rana showed respect to his father-in-law by holding up a jersey with his name on it after reaching fifty in that game, it reminded me of Sachin Tendulkar looking up to the heavens to pay respect to his father after reaching his hundred against Kenya in the 1999 World Cup. Tendulkar, it is known, found it hard to control his tears. It would have been no different for Rana. Interestingly, both ended up on the winning side. May be God wanted them to. May be it was blessings from the departed, but at that instant, sport had become so much more. It was a microcosm of life, where a young man was doing duty while his family was in mourning. How are these men different from frontline workers or men and women in the army? Each is doing duty as others live safe and happy.
Can he lead KKR to the play offs with a side that is still not at its best? With Umesh and Shardul both recovering from injury, Rana has a job few will envy. But that’s what sport is all about. Winning against all odds.
The IPL is not just about money and broadcast numbers and statistics. It is not about runs scored or wickets taken. It is about men and women, players and support staff, standing up to do their duty and making a difference to the sport they play. It is about incredible India showing a mirror to the world in all its glory. That’s why we love it so much, and why we will continue to do so for years on end. Rana is a shining example of what can be done with spirit, passion and talent all coming together in abundance.