"Now he needs another 591 in next 13 innings" - Fans react after Nitish Rana departs for 9 off 10 balls in KKR vs SRH IPL 2024 clash
Nitish Rana failed to deliver with the bat for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 clash at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.
Rana came out to bat when the Knight Riders were reduced to 32/3 in 3.5 overs. The left-handed batter, however, managed to score just nine runs off 11 balls, including one boundary.
The 30-year-old was caught by Rahul Tripathi at backward point off Mayank Markande in the eighth over to leave the hosts in a spot of bother at 51/4 after 7.3 overs.
The flop show came days after Nitish Rana said that he’ll aim to score 600+ runs in IPL 2024 to make his case stronger for the 2024 T20 World Cup. He recently told the Times of India:
“Everyone wants to play for the country and many players will have it in the back of their mind, but we have to stay in the present. I too want to get selected for the World T20 squad, but at this moment I am thinking only about the IPL. I believe I can get 600 runs in this tournament and I will be aiming for that.”
Last year, Rana amassed 413 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 140.96, including three half-centuries. He has been consistently scoring 300+ runs in IPL since 2017.
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) took a jibe at Nitish Rana for his failure in the opening game for KKR in IPL 2024. One user wrote:
"Nitish Rana wants score 600+ runs in this season. Now he needs another 591 in next 13 innings."
Here are a few more reactions:
Andre Russell guides KKR to 200+ total vs SRH in IPL 2024 clash
A clinical batting display from Andre Russell helped KKR post 208/7 against SRH in their allotted 20 overs on Saturday. The West Indian smashed an unbeaten 64 runs off 25 balls, hitting seven sixes and three boundaries. Phillip Salt, Ramandeep Singh, and Rinku Singh also chipped in with 54 (40), 35 (17), and 23 (15), respectively.
T Natarajan starred with the ball for SRH, returning with excellent figures of 3/32, while Mayank Markande bagged two wickets.
Follow the KKR vs SRH IPL 2024 clash live score and updates here.