Nitish Rana injures ankle in practice to join KKR's long casualty list ahead of IPL 2023

KKR batter Nitish Rana on Thursday injured his left ankle during a practice session at the Eden Gardens to become their third high-profile injury ahead of the season. However, when Sportskeeda approached him, he shrugged off any concerns.

Nitish Rana had already batted in two separate nets, having faced KKR’s spinners and net bowlers, before going for a third stint to take throwdowns. That’s when one of the balls struck him flush on the left ankle. The southpaw immediately went to ground, as support staff from all around the sprawling venue converged on him.

Wincing in pain, the 29-year-old removed his shoes and socks for treatment to the ankle. He lay on the pitch for about five minutes and freed himself from the rest of his gear, before getting up and hobbling off to the other side of the ground. He didn’t engage in any more activity, but he remained on the field with all his teammates until practice got over.

Rana received more treatment in the dressing room as he was spotted leaving the venue with his left ankle bandaged. When Sportskeeda asked him, he said it wasn’t anything major. But the Delhi lad was still tottering.

The development comes close on the heels of ace pacer Lockie Ferguson suffering a hamstring injury and getting ruled out of Saturday’s first ODI against Sri Lanka. The Kiwi quick is likely to be sidelined for the first week of IPL 2023. KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer is already set to miss the first half of IPL 2023 – if not the full tournament – owing to a recurring lower back issue.

Nitish Rana features among the contenders to be named stand-in captain, alongside West Indians Andre Russell and Sunil Narine. If his injury worsens, KKR’s already-dilapidated batting line-up will be jolted further.

The Knights have canceled tomorrow's practice, with the players only scheduled for a gym session. There has been no official word yet, but one would hope that Rana's injury isn't serious and he recovers quickly.

KKR are slated to play their first practice match against the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) XI on Saturday.

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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) schedule for IPL 2023

Match 1: April 1 - Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Mohali

Match 2: April 6 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata

Match 3: April 9 - Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Ahmedabad

Match 4: April 14 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata

Match 5: April 16 - Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai

Match 6: April 20 - Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi

Match 7: April 23 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata

Match 8: April 26 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Bengaluru

Match 9: April 29 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans, Kolkata

Match 10: May 4 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Hyderabad

Match 11: May 8 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, Kolkata

Match 12: May 11 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata

Match 13: May 14 - Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai

Match 14: May 20 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants, Kolkata