[Watch] Nitish Rana shares excitement over meeting England’s star pacer at Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025

Indian cricketer Nitish Rana has revealed that he is excited to meet England pacer Jofra Archer at the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Rana, released by the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the mega auction, was purchased by the Royals for ₹4.20 Crore.

Meanwhile, the 29-year-old Archer was bought by Rajasthan for ₹12.50 crore. In a video shared on Rajasthan's official X account, Nitish was asked which player he was most excited to meet. The 30-year-old mentioned Archer, highlighting their shared passion for the English football club Manchester United.

Nitish said:

“Jofra. I’ve heard he’s a Manchester United fan and a good friend of Rashford. Rahul Tewatia mentioned this to me when he was with RR. I’d really like to connect with him. It’s something I’ve had in mind. I’m very emotional about Manchester United, especially considering what the club has gone through over the last 10 years.”

On Sunday, December 1, Manchester United claimed their biggest league win in over three years, thrashing Everton 4-0, with Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee each scoring twice. The Red Devils are currently in ninth place in the Premier League, with 19 points from 13 games.

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Nitish Rana has accumulated more than 2,500 runs in the IPL

The left-hander made his IPL debut with the Mumbai Indians in 2016, scoring 437 runs in 17 matches, including four fifties over two seasons, before joining the Knight Riders in the 2018 edition. Rana has since played seven seasons for KKR, amassing 2,199 runs in 90 games, with 14 fifties.

Nitish Rana made his debut for India in an ODI against Sri Lanka in July 2021, scoring seven runs. He later debuted in T20Is during the same tour, scoring 15 runs across two matches. He has not featured for the national team since then.