Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
With the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 nearing the half-stage mark, in match number 32 of the tournament, the Delhi Capitals (DC) will host the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday, April 16. Although, both teams have had a contrasting season thus far as the Axar Patel-led team are placed second and the Royals are reeling at the eighth spot in the points table.
Ahead of this fixture, RR batter Nitish Rana, who was released from the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad after IPL 2024, dropped a big statement while backing Riyan Parag. It is to be noted that his statement came after Parag donned the captaincy hat for the first three matches in the ongoing season, with Sanju Samson still to receive clearance to keep the wickets after his injury.
Absolutely the right decision by the management: Nitish Rana backs Riyan Parag as RR’s stand-in captain
Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Delhi ahead of DC vs RR game, Rana explained that he was named the KKR captain after being with them for six-seven years and that’s the reason he could understand the team environment. "When I was made captain of KKR, I had been with the team for 6-7 years. That helped a lot because I understood the team culture and environment. Now, with RR, I think Riyan knows the team's setup better than me. And I think it was absolutely the right decision by the management," Nitish Rana said.
He further added, "If they had asked me, of course, I would've happily accepted the captaincy. But what matters most is what's right for the team. And I think they made the correct call." The middle-order batter, who has featured in all sixes matches for the Royals, and amassed 117 runs at an average of 23.40. His highest score of 81 off 36 deliveries came against Chennai Super Kings at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
However, he hasn’t got a great outing apart from that and sims to get what is required out of him in the middle order for the side. "Whatever the team demands from me, I try my best to fulfill that. Earlier, I batted lower down the order. Then in the third match, they asked me if I would bat at number three. I said yes, and I scored around 80 or so. So I just try to deliver what the team expects of me. And I'm always okay with that," the RR batter said.
