Nitish Rana is an experienced Indian cricketer who gained fame for his aggressive left-handed batting. His promising talent brought him to the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2015.
Born in 1993, in Delhi, Rana made his IPL debut in 2016 for Mumbai Indians (MI) before becoming a key player for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Over the last decade, he has been a consistent performer in the IPL. Apart from his IPL success, Rana has also represented India in limited-overs cricket in 2021.
As of IPL 2025 season, Nitish Rana is representing Rajasthan Royals (RR). After getting released by his former team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the mega auction pool, Rana was picked up by RR for INR 4.20 crore.
Despite strong competition from CSK and RCB, RR were adamant on having Rana in their fold and eventually succeeded in their plan.
Nitish Rana began his IPL career with Mumbai Indians in 2015 but got his first real opportunity in 2016. He made an impact in the 2017 season, scoring 333 runs in 13 matches, which caught the attention of other franchises. In 2018, KKR picked up Rana for INR 3.40 crore.
In seven seasons (2018–2024), he played crucial innings and even led KKR in IPL 2023 when Shreyas Iyer was unavailable due to injury. Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, KKR released Rana, and Rajasthan Royals signed him for INR 4.20 crore.
It is important to note that over the years, Nitish Rana has played for three teams. He started his IPL journey with Mumbai Indians in 2016. However, things changed for him when he joined KKR in 2018. He was part of the Kolkata-based franchise for 7 years, until 2024.
After being released by KKR, ahead of IPL 2025, Nitish Rana joined RR. In IPL 2025, he played 11 matches and made 217 runs at a strike-rate of 161.94 and an average of 21.70.
Nitish Rana IPL Salary
Nitish Rana IPL Salary (Source:@_mkverma,x.com)
In the IPL 2025 auction, Nitish Rana was bought by Rajasthan Royals for INR 4.20 crore. After being released by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the mega auction, Rana entered the bidding pool and was acquired by RR at a lower price compared to his previous INR 8 crore retention by KKR in 2022.
Nitish Rana has experienced ups and downs in his IPL price at auctions. He began his IPL career with Mumbai Indians (2015-2017) for a small INR 10 lakh.
His good work was rewarded with an INR 3.40 crore bid by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018. KKR appreciated his consistency and retained him at INR 8 crore in 2022. However, after missing most of IPL 2024 due to injury, he was released and picked up by Rajasthan Royals in 2025 for INR 4.20 crore.
Nitish Rana IPL Stats
IPL
Matches
Runs
Ave
SR
IPL 2025
11
217
21.7
161.94
IPL 2024
2
42
21
123.52
IPL 2023
14
413
31.76
140.95
IPL 2022
14
361
27.76
143.82
IPL 2021
17
383
29.46
121.97
IPL 2020/21
14
352
25.14
138.58
IPL 2019
14
344
34.4
146.38
IPL 2018
15
304
23.38
131.03
IPL 2017
13
333
30.27
126.13
IPL 2016
4
104
34.66
138.66
FAQs: Nitish Rana IPL
Q.1 Is Nitish Rana playing in IPL 2025?
Answer: Yes, Nitish Rana is playing IPL 2025 for Rajasthan Royals. He was acquired by the franchise for INR 4.20 crore during the mega auction held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Q.2 What is the price of Nitish Rana in IPL?
Answer: Nitish Rana’s price as of IPL 2025 season is INR 4.20 crore. His bid started at INR 1.50 crore during the mega auction before RR placed the highest bid to buy him for INR 4.20 crore.
Q.3 What is the highest score of Nitish Rana in IPL?
Answer: Nitish Rana's highest score in the IPL is 87 runs, which he achieved while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2020.
Q.4 Did KKR bid for Nitish Rana?
Answer: No, KKR did not bid for Nitish Rana during the IPL 2025 mega auction. His bid started at INR 1.50 crore with RR and CSK indulging in a bidding war. While RCB also raised the paddle, Rajasthan won the battle for INR 4.20 crore.
Q.5 Where is Nitish Rana in IPL 2025?
Answer: Nitish Rana was acquired by Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025 mega auction. After seven seasons with KKR, he played for RR in 2025.