IPL 2022: Top 3 Nitish Rana knocks in the IPL

Match 41 of the IPL 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will take place between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Delhi Capitals on Thursday. So far in IPL 2022, both IPL teams are tied on three wins and six points. However, KKR has lost one more match compared to DC.

The opening pair of Prithvi Shaw and David Warner for Delhi Capitals look formidable and are in top form. Khaleel Ahmed, Lalit Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mustafizur Rahman are all in exceptional form as well.

For the Knight Riders, skipper Shreyas Iyer and Andre Russell have been more than consistent, but a player in the middle order who can make a significant difference is Nitish Rana. Having saved KKR innumerable times from the jaws of defeat, Rana has been an incredible asset for the team over the years.

Moreover, Nitish Rana needs 37 more to reach 2000 runs in the IPL.

On that note, let's take a look at three of his best knocks in the history of the tournament.

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#1 62*(34) - MI vs KXIP in IPL 2017

Nitish Rana played an unbeaten 62 in MI vs KXIP 2017

While playing for Mumbai back in 2017, Rana hit a crucial unbeaten knock to take them home while facing Punjab. MI had asked Punjab to bat first and the decision backfired quickly. Hashim Amla's century and Glenn Maxwell's quick cameo of 40(18), KXIP posted a total of 198/4.

Mumbai Indians needed a strong partnership to achieve the target and the openers gave them just that. Parthiv Patel and Jos Buttler put up a 81-run stand. Jos went on to score 77(37) but was dismissed at a crucial time.

With the upper middle-order needing to finish the job, Nitish Rana stepped up and scored an unbeaten 62 off 34 deliveries laced with seven sixes. He helped Mumbai chase down the total with eight wickets and 4.3 overs to go.

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#2 85*(46) - KKR vs RCB in IPL 2019

Rana playing a match-winning knock for KKR

In the 35th clash of IPL 2019, when RCB met KKR, the latter won the toss and decided to bowl first. RCB opener Parthiv Patel was sent back early, and with Bangalore desperate for a partnership, skipper Virat Kohli stepped up.

Kohli scored a much-needed century off 58 balls and weaved a 90-run stand with Moeen Ali to power RCB to a total of 213/4. With such a whopping target in sight, the Kinght Riders opened with Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn. But neither could stave off the RCB bowlers and in no time KKR found themselves in a fix.

This is when Nitish Rana got into the act with Andre Russell to stitch a partnership of over 100 runs and bring KKR as close to the target as possible. Rana scored an unbeaten 85 off 46 balls, a knock that included nine fours and five sixes, but KKR fell short of the target by just 10 runs.

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#3 87(61) - KKR vs CSK in IPL 2020

Rana scoring his IPL best against CSK in 2020

In the 2020 edition, Nitish Rana scored his IPL career best against the Chennai Super Kings in the 49th game of the season. At the Dubai International Stadium, CSK won the toss and put KKR in to bat.

Rana opened the innings with Shubman Gill but young Gill fell with the score at 53/1. However, Rana kept going. KKR looked in trouble when wickets kept tumbling at one end but Rana never stopped playing his natural game.

The southpaw scored 87(61), with ten fours and four sixes, and helped KKR post 172/5. However, the Chennai batsmen just proved a bit too strong for the KKR bowlers as they chased down the total in the last over with the help of Ravindra Jadeja's quickfire 31*(11).