"Always wear the jersey with pride!" - Gautam Gambhir shares appreciation post for KKR captain Nitish Rana
With regular captain Shreyas Iyer ruled out due to a back injury, Nitish Rana was appointed as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper for the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).
The side's campaign ended with a one-run loss against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Saturday, May 20. KKR won six out of their 14 matches, finishing seventh in the points table.
Taking to his Instagram account on Monday, May 22, LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir shared an appreciation post for Rana. The two also posed with a special KKR jersey, which was handed to former KKR skipper Gambhir by Nitish Rana.
"So proud of u Nitish. Always wear the jersey with pride!" Gambhir captioned the post.
It is worth mentioning that Rana, on several occasions, has admitted that Gautam Gambhir has had a big influence on his game. The left-handed batter was one of the top performers for KKR this year, amassing 413 runs from 14 outings.
"You and this jersey has taught me a lot over the years" - Nitish Rana's response to Gautam Gambhir's post
Nitish Rana expressed his gratitude towards Gautam Gambhir while also mentioning that he has learned a lot from the former Indian opener.
Responding to Gambhir's post, here's what Rana wrote on Twitter:
"Thank you @GautamGambhir bhaiya. You and this jersey has taught me a lot over the years and I am forever grateful for that."
twitter.com/gautamgambhir/…
Thank you @GautamGambhir bhaiya. You and this jersey has taught me a lot over the years and I am forever grateful for that 💜 twitter.com/gautamgambhir/…
Nitish Rana and Co. failed to chase down Lucknow's 177-run target despite Rinku Singh's blistering unbeaten knock of 67 runs in their last league game. With the win, LSG finished third on the points table, making the cut for the all-important playoffs.
The Lucknow-based side will now lock horns with five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in the crucial Eliminator clash of the tournament. The knockout match will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday, May 24.
The winner of the Eliminator will square off against the loser of Qualifier 1 for a place in the IPL 2023 final.