Nitish Rana vs Gautam Gambhir - comparing their stats after 110 IPL matches

Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Nitish Rana stunned the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and their fans with a blistering 81 off 36 deliveries to help his side open their account on the IPL 2025 points table. It was a knock that, in many ways, came out of nowhere, considering how ordinary the southpaw looked in RR's first two outings.

Despite playing for his third IPL franchise, Rana is fondly remembered for his exploits with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) - a franchise he represented for seven of his 10 years in the IPL. Incidentally, he came into the KKR setup after their talisman, Gautam Gambhir, departed ahead of the 2018 season.

Gambhir is a fan-favorite in Kolkata, as he helped the franchise win their first two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 during his seven-year run with them from 2011 to 2017. Gambhir also returned as the mentor last year, with Rana playing for them as a player.

The duo helped KKR go on one of the most dominant IPL single-season runs, culminating with a third title last season.

Rana's knock yesterday was a throwback to several of his outstanding batting displays with KKR. Gambhir also produced many batting masterclasses during his playing days with KKR.

Yet, who fared better as a batter between the two left-handers in their first 110 IPL matches (Rana's current mark)? Let us find out by breaking down their numbers across several key categories.

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Overall Numbers

Gautam Gambhir's first 110 IPL games consisted of his first three IPL seasons with the Delhi Capitals (DC) and another four and a half seasons with KKR. Meanwhile, Rana just played his 110th IPL outing in last night's encounter against CSK.

Between the two left-handers of different batting styles, who boasts better overall numbers - runs, half-centuries, and centuries?

Nitish Rana vs Gautam Gambhir - Overall Numbers

The above table demonstrates how close the battle is in batting between Rana and Gambhir. Yet, the latter had scored slightly more runs with more half-centuries at the same stage of their IPL careers (110 matches).

Interestingly, both batters never scored a century in over 100 innings, despite predominantly batting in the top order.

Edge: Gautam Gambhir

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Impact Numbers

Both Gambhir and Rana had multiple gears to their batting, resulting in them producing several impact knocks in the IPL. Renowned for their ability against spin, the two left-handers could also demolish pacers in their days.

Coming to Impact numbers, we look at the two batters' average, strike rate, and numbers in team wins in this section.

Nitish Rana vs Gautam Gambhir - Impact Numbers

It's hard to choose between the two when it comes to impact numbers, with each one outdueling the other in two of the four categories.

While Gambhir was slightly more consistent through his first 110 IPL games with an average of over 20, compared to Rana's 28.80, the latter scored a considerable strike rate. The trend is similar when it comes to numbers in wins, with Gambhir boasting a better average of almost 40 but Rana scoring at a much faster rate of almost 142.

Edge: Tie

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Performances in the Knockouts

Clutch performances in big matches matter for plenty in the IPL. A batter can score a truckload of runs in the league stages, but his productivity in the playoffs and final sticks in the fans' memories for good or bad forever.

Nitish Rana vs Gautam Gambhir - Knockout Numbers

Surprisingly, both batters have endured a massive struggle when it comes to the IPL playoffs and final in their first 110 games. While Gambhir led KKR to two titles in 2012 and 2014, at this point, his batting average of 10.42 at a strike rate of 107.35 in seven innings in the IPL playoffs and finals make for sorry reading.

Rana hasn't fared much better in his five such games, averaging a dismal 12.20 at a strike rate of 103.38.

Edge: Tie

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Conclusion

In conclusion, it is touch and go when it comes to the batting numbers of Gautam Gambhir and Nitish Rana through their first 110 IPL games. However, the former KKR captain slightly edges out RR's current No.3 in the accumulation category - runs and half-centuries- to emerge triumphant overall by the barest of margins.

Winner: Gautam Gambhir