IPL 2023: KKR’s bad luck continues to hit them hard ahead of Indian Premier League 2023. After injuries to skipper Shreyas Iyer and premium New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson, Kolkata have suffered another blow. Kolkata Knight Riders batter Nitish Rana is the latest to join the long list of casualties. He suffered a left ankle injury on Thursday at the Eden Gardens during a practise session, making it KKR’s third prominent injury of the offseason. Follow IPL 2023 Live Updates with InsideSport.IN.
Before going for a third stint to take throwdowns, Nitish Rana had already batted in two different nets and faced the spinners and net bowlers of KKR. That’s when one of the balls struck him flush on the left ankle. The southpaw fell to the ground right away as helpers from all over the large venue surrounded him.
📰| Nitish Rana injured his left ankle while facing throwdowns last night. Although, Nitish Rana has told Sportskeeda that it’s not major.
— KnightRidersXtra (@KRxtra) March 24, 2023
The 29-year-old winced as he removed his shoes and socks to have his ankles treated. He lay there for about five minutes, then got up and hobbled away. He didn’t engage in any further activity, but remained on the pitch with his teammates until training ended.
However, when Sportskeeda approached Nitish Rana, he shrugged off any concern.
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Rana continued to get treated in the dressing room as he was seen leaving the ground with his left ankle taped later.
This development comes after pacer Lockie Ferguson has been ruled unfit for NZ’s first ODI against Sri Lanka on Saturday with an injured hamstring. The Kiwi fast bowler is likely to be sidelined for the first week of the IPL 2023.
While, KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer will miss the first half of IPL 2023, if not the entire tournament, with a recurring lower back problem.
Nitish Rana, along with West Indians Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, are among the contenders to be named stand-in captain. If his injury worsens, KKR’s already fragile batting line-up will be further shaken up.
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