'Things will change soon' - Nitish Rana self-motivates himself after facing T20I snub

As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced an 18-player squad for the upcoming South Africa series, many new names can be seen on the list.

The likes of Arshdeep Singh and Umran Malik have reaped the rewards of a terrific IPL season. The veteran wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik has also earned a national comeback on scintillating batting performances in the ongoing edition of the cash-rich league.

While Rahul Tripathi and Sanju Samson were surprisingly left out of the squad, one such name who has flown under the radar is Nitish Rana.

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter was consistent in his show throughout the tournament, hammering 361 runs in 14 matches at a strike-rate of 143.82. IPL 2022 is Rana's sixth consecutive season with 300-plus runs.

Still, it was not enough for the Delhi-born to get a place in the Indian team for the five-match series against the Proteas.

After facing a snub, Rana took to his Twitter account and wrote, "Things will change soon."

Rana, 28, made his International debut in the last Sri Lanka tour under the leadership of Shikhar Dhawan. The left-hander has featured in one ODI and two T20Is in his career but could not make enough of those opportunities.

Notably, India will host South Africa in a five-match T20 series, starting June 9.