'That's The Way I bat': Nitish Rana On Gavaskar's Outburst

image-lg65s4a3Nitish Rana scored one off five balls before being dismissed (iplT20.com)

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Nitish Rana has robustly defended his mode of dismissal amid the disapproving glare of many cricket experts, after falling for just one run off five balls in the IPL 2023 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Thursday.

The southpaw's attempt to reverse-sweep Michael Bracewell backfired, as he managed only to glove the ball to the keeper. Several critics have scrutinized the left-handed batsman's shot selection, particularly given the team's early setback and the need for a stabilizing partnership.

Rana, however, has steadfastly defended his batting style in his post-match comments, reiterating that his natural instincts were at play, and that his execution of the shot was not up to the mark. Taking a dig at the critics, he remarked that it is easy for people to make judgments from a distance.

When questioned about his mode of dismissal in the post-match conference, the left-hander remained unyielding, stating that his shot was not a matter of misfortune but rather his typical batting style. He further commented that if he were a spectator watching someone else's match, he too could find faults easily and point out mistakes.

“That’s the way I bat. It’s very easy to say from outside. If I am sitting outside and watching someone else’s match, anyone can say after a mistake that you have made a mistake. It was my shot and I have always played my cricket this way,”  said Rana in the post-match presser.

The Delhi born cricketer further emphasized that he has always played his cricket in this manner, and his intentions to be aggressive against Bracewell were a part of the team's strategic plan.

Rana's dismissal in the seventh over left KKR reeling at 47/3. However, Shardul Thakur, Rinku Singh, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz put together an impressive performance to lift KKR's total to 204/7. 

In response, KKR's spinners showed their prowess, weaving a web around RCB's batters and bowling them out for a feeble 123, securing a mammoth 81-run victory and opening their account on the points table.