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Having Justified Talent, It’s Time For Nitish Rana To Attest Consistency

Bhargav Dixit

Nitish Rana & MS Dhoni (Source: AP Photos)Nitish Rana & MS Dhoni (Source: AP Photos)

Describing him as "one of their best batters", Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid had explained the rationale behind promoting stand-in captain Riyan Parag to No. 3 in their first two Indian Premier League 2025 matches. Dravid, who was flexible enough to demote Parag against Chennai Super Kings in Guwahati, would be ecstatic for doing so.

As a result, Nitish Rana, who batted at No. 4 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders, was sent out at the fall of the first wicket. With seven out of Rana’s 19 IPL half-centuries (including the latest one) coming at No. 3, it was a move which worked extensively well for him and Royals.

Nitish Rana Turns Back The Clock

Having batted with a lot of intent and purpose, Rana returned the favour by scoring a hard-hitting 81 (36) including 10 fours and five sixes. With a strike rate of 225, it is the first time when he scored an IPL half-century at a 200+ strike rate.

Rana, who has a point to prove this season, has scored more runs in an IPL innings in the past. That being said, he never looked in control like he was at the Barsapara Cricket stadium on Sunday. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that there were glimpses of the past – a phase where he used to resemble an India prospect with every boundary he scored.

By the time he faced six balls, Rana had already hit two fours and a six. Welcoming Jamie Overton on IPL debut, Rana hit two fours before winning a one-to-one battle against Ravichandran Ashwin.

With the seasoned spinner bowling round the wickets, Rana hit the first two balls for sixes over the deep square leg region. Ready to sweep against the turn, optimum execution made Ashwin look clueless – a rarity. Having bowled a full toss in his attempt to deceive Rana on the following delivery, Ashwin got hit for another boundary.

Not sparing short balls from Chennai’s pacers, the 31-year-old player effectively played the cut, pull and slash to bring up a 21-ball half-century on the penultimate delivery of the powerplay. The sound coming off Rana’s bat was a testament to his eye-catching stroke play.

As if humiliating Ashwin once wasn’t enough, Rana hit him for another six and four before eventually getting out to him. As one would expect, Ashwin outthought the batter to get him out stump off a wide delivery.

Remaining Consistent A Challenge For Nitish Rana

For all the potential that he’s been putting on display since his IPL debut in 2016, Rana managing to cross the 400-run mark just once is a prime example of him wasting opportunities on a yearly basis. As a matter of fact, if Rana fails to reach greater heights during the course of his playing career, he might well be remembered as a case of wasted potential in spite of three international appearances.

If truth be told, Rana has experienced such mind-blowing and impact-generating knocks in the past. What he is yet to experience is remaining consistent enough throughout a season to be among its best players.

Taking into consideration how well he batted against CSK, Rana will certainly get more opportunities at No. 3 in the remainder of the season. If he is to justify his talent and not be known for a one-match wonder per season, more such knocks will not only give a lift to his reputation but also work wonders for a franchise who splurged INR 4.2 crore to buy him.